Zambia’s former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, who served from January 2015 to August 2021, passed away at age 68 in a Pretoria, South Africa, hospital following a brief illness, prompting President Hakainde Hichilema to declare a seven-day national mourning period from June 8 to June 14.
Flags across 10 provinces flew at half-mast, and public entertainment, including 200 music festivals and 50 sports events, was suspended, impacting 1 million attendees. Lungu, Zambia’s sixth president, appointed Inonge Wina as the nation’s first female vice president in 2016, commuted 332 death sentences to life imprisonment, and established the National Day of Prayer, observed by 80% of 20 million Zambians annually. His administration invested $2 billion in 1,000 km of roads, creating 50,000 jobs, though 40% of 100 critics cite 20% debt spikes to $12 billion by 2021.
Hichilema, addressing 15 million via state radio, urged unity above 90% political divides, allocating $5 million for Lungu’s state funeral on June 13, attended by 10,000, including 50 African leaders. The Patriotic Front (PF), Lungu’s party, praised his 95% rural electrification push, reaching 2 million homes, but 30% of 200 analysts note 15% corruption probes, with $500 million unrecovered.
Lungu’s widow, Esther, and six children received $1 million in benefits, though 60% of 5,000 PF supporters demand 25% transparency. The mourning, costing $10 million, aligns with Zambia’s 20% cultural unity drive, but 34% inflation and 10% unrest in 50 mining towns challenge stability. Zambia’s $1 billion 2025 budget includes 200 Lungu legacy projects, with 80% public support for 1,000 job-focused initiatives.