Edgar Lungu
African leaders mourn Zambia’s founding president Kenneth Kaunda
African leaders and diplomats on Friday joined Zambia in mourning its founding president and liberation hero Kenneth Kaunda, who died last month aged 97 after a bout of pneumonia. “KK”, as he was affectionately known, ruled over Zambia from 1964, when the southern African nation won its independence from Britain, until losing an election in 1991. He died on June 17 in a military hospital in Lusaka. Kaunda’s casket draped in the green, orange, black and red national flag was driven into the main arena of the Lusaka show ground on a gun carriage by an army jeep. His son, Panji, wept, as did Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. Other mourners waved white handkerchiefs, one of the most prominent idiosyncrasies of Kaunda, who after leaving office became a committed activist against HIV/AIDS. Althou...
Zambian court throws out second challenge to president’s re-election bid
Zambia’s Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that President Edgar Lungu can stand for re-election in August, throwing out a second opposition challenge to his eligibility on the basis of the constitutional two-term limit. The ruling comes as Zambia faces a multipronged economic crisis, after overleveraging its debt right before the brutal global COVID-19 shutdown. The crisis has triggered Africa’s first pandemic-era sovereign default and driven the southern African country to seek emergency IMF help. Lungu’s first term in office lasted a year and six months, when he took over after the death of the previous elected president, Michael Sata. He then won an election in a disputed vote in August 2016. Since this is technically his second term, the opposition had argued that he is no longer el...
Zambia leader removes 246 inmates from death row
Zambian President Edgar Lungu has removed 246 inmates who were on death row and commuted their sentences to life sentences, a government official said on Wednesday. Minister of Home Affairs, Stephen Kampyongo, said that among the inmates includes 225 males and 21 females. He announced the commuting of the sentences during an event held at Mukobeko Maximum Prison in central Zambia’s Kabwe town which was streamed live on Facebook. Mr Kampyongo said this made the clemency of death to life sentences over 500 after 332 inmates had their sentences commuted in 2015. He said the commutation of sentences of inmates would help to congest the section of condemned inmates at the prison which was meant for 50 people but now has over 400 inmates. The move, he said, was also meant to protect inmates from...
Zambian leader defends investments in road works
Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Friday defended his government’s decision to embark on massive road works across the country, saying it was necessary to enhance investments. Lungu, who commissioned a newly-constructed flyover bridge in Lusaka, the country’s capital said; “Of course our critics have said, and they continue to campaign that we were reckless for having borrowed but they were shy to tell the people frankly how that money we borrowed had been used.’’ The Zambian leader said his government had prioritised investing money into improving the country’s road networks because of the benefits that would be realised. According to him, investors will only come to Zambia if there is a proper road network. Lungu said that investors were not keen to put up factories in a country with a po...
Zambia asks China to cancel its debt
File Photo Zambian President Edgar Lungu has asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for some “debt relief and cancellation” in a telephone conversation between the two leaders. That is according to a statement issued by Lusaka after the chat that reportedly took place on Monday. “President Lungu called for debt relief and cancellation in light of reduced revenue due to the negative impact of the pandemic, as well as competing needs for the country to secure adequate resources to fight the pandemic and to stimulate the economy,” said a statement issued by Spokesman Isaac Chipampe. Zambia’s public debt has increased significantly in recent years although it’s unclear exactly how much is actually owed to China. The two leaders agreed to continue working closely together to safeguard common intere...
