Former President Kenneth Kaunda, who ruled Zambia from 1964 to 1991, has died at a hospital in Lusaka, aged 97, reports ITREALMS.
His death was also confirmed by his son, Kambarage Kaunda as well as Hakainde Hichilema, the Zambian's biggest opposition leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND) on their Facebook pages.
Kenneth David Kaunda, also known as KK, ITREALMS gathered is a Zambian former politician who served as the first President of Zambia from 1964 to 1991.
Kaunda is the youngest of eight children born to an ordained Church of Scotland missionary and teacher, an immigrant from Malawi.
Born on 28 April 1924 at the suburb of Chinsali, Zambia is a key figure in its independence struggle, and died at the age of 97.
In addition, ITREALMS gathered that Kaunda was admitted to a hospital in the capital Lusaka on Monday suffering from pneumonia. His aides said he did not have Covid-19.
ITREALMS recalled in 1950s, Kaunda was a key figure in what was then Northern Rhodesia's independence movement from Britain.
He became president following independence in 1964.
As head of the left-leaning United National Independence Party (UNIP), Kaunda then led the country through decades of one-party rule.
He stepped down after losing multi-party elections in 1991.
Equally, Kaunda was a strong supporter of efforts to end apartheid in South Africa and was a leading supporter of liberation movements in Mozambique and what is now Zimbabwe.
"I am sad to inform we have lost Mzee," Kaunda's son, Kambarage, wrote on his late father's Facebook page, using a term of respect. "Let's pray for him."
No comments:
Post a Comment