Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu
Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the sixth President of Zambia, has died at the age of 68, his party, the Patriotic Front (PF), confirmed in a statement on Thursday.
According to the PF, Lungu passed away while receiving specialised treatment in South Africa for an undisclosed illness. No further details about the cause of death have been released.
Lungu served as Zambia’s head of state from 2015 to 2021. A lawyer by profession, he rose to power following the death of President Michael Sata in 2014, winning a tightly contested election in January 2015. He was re-elected in 2016 before being defeated by current President Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND) in the 2021 general election.
After his defeat, Lungu briefly stepped back from active politics but later returned, making several public appearances and hinting at a possible comeback ahead of the 2026 elections. He remained a key figure within the Patriotic Front, Zambia’s main opposition party.
Lungu is the sixth president of Zambia since the country gained independence from Britain in 1964. The former heads of state include:
Kenneth Kaunda (1964–1991), Zambia’s founding president and leader of the United National Independence Party (UNIP)
Frederick Chiluba (1991–2002), of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD)
Levy Mwanawasa (2002–2008), also of the MMD
Rupiah Banda (2008–2011), MMD
Michael Sata (2011–2014), founder of the Patriotic Front
Edgar Lungu (2015–2021), Patriotic Front
Lungu’s death comes at a time of heightened political activity in Zambia, with growing speculation over the PF’s leadership and its strategy ahead of the next national elections.
Funeral arrangements and an official statement from the government are expected in the coming days.
