Zambia has declared a seven-day period of national mourning following the death of former president Edgar Lungu, who passed away on Thursday.
Lungu, aged 68, died in Pretoria, South Africa, where he was receiving specialised treatment for achalasia, a rare oesophageal condition.
He led Zambia from January 2015 until August 2021, when he lost the presidency to Hakainde Hichilema in a closely watched election.
Cabinet Secretary Patrick Kangwa announced on Saturday that Lungu would receive a state funeral, with flags flying at half-mast from 8 to 14 June.
During this period, entertainment events will be suspended nationwide in honour of the late president.
Kangwa confirmed that Lungu’s body will arrive in Lusaka next Wednesday and that Belvedere Lodge has been designated the official mourning site.
Lungu’s party, the Patriotic Front, said he had been undergoing care in a Pretoria clinic at the time of his passing.
His death marks the end of a turbulent chapter in Zambian politics, during which Lungu faced both acclaim and criticism.
As tributes pour in, the nation prepares to bid farewell to a leader who shaped Zambia’s recent past.
