Zambia's first president Kenneth Kaunda dies aged 97 |19 June 2021

President Kaunda and Mr St Ange at the International Peace Park in Livingstone during the IIPT tree planting event to mark the UNWTO 20th General Assembly organised jointly by Zambia and Zimbabwe. They were both guests of Louis D’Amore, president of the U

Zambia's first President, Kenneth Kaunda, has died aged 97.

Born on April 28, 1924 and one of the last of the generation of African leaders who fought colonialism and described as a pioneer of Africa independence, Mr Kaunda died on Thursday June 17, 2021.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Mr Kaunda was admitted to a military hospital in the capital, Lusaka, on Monday suffering from pneumonia, but his aides said he did not have Covid-19.

He was a key figure in what was then Northern Rhodesia's independence movement from Britain in the 1950s and 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 ‒ 27 years in total.

He stepped down after losing multi-party elections in 1991.

He was also a strong supporter of efforts to end apartheid in South Africa and a leading supporter of liberation movements and also played a major role in Mozambique's independence talks in 1975, Zimbabwe's in 1980 and Namibia's in 1990.

“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.”

Zambian President Edgar Lungu said the country was mourning “a true African icon”.

“I learnt of your passing this afternoon with great sadness,” he wrote on Facebook. “On behalf of the entire nation and on my own behalf I pray that the entire Kaunda family is comforted as we mourn our first president and true African icon.”

The government declared three weeks of national mourning with all forms of entertainment suspended.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation said Kaunda's contribution to the struggle against colonialism and apartheid would not be forgotten.

Another tribute came from Kalusha Bwalya, former captain of the Zambian national football team, who said Kaunda had made “an immense impact”.

Former Seychelles President Danny Faure wrote on his Facebook page: “My deepest condolences on the passing away of the founding father of Zambia, former President Kenneth Kaunda.

“We will remember him as an African icon who fought against colonialism and apartheid.

“I still remember my conversation with him in one of my visits to Zambia. He really wanted peace and unity for the African continent.

“My deepest condolences to his family and the people of the Republic of Zambia.”

As for Alain St Ange, president of the African Tourism Board, he joined Cuthbert Ncube, chairman of the organisation, to express the board’s sympathy to the government and people of Zambia and to the Kaunda family on the passing of President Kaunda.

“I have had the pleasure and the honour of meeting President Kaunda on many occasions on my different working missions as the Seychelles minister responsible for tourism. He was a man of the people and always waved his white handkerchief as his trademark sign. He ran into conferences and to the speaker’s podium always with the same grace and humility. Our discussions about Africa and the Pan-Africanism spirit were always enlightening and personally rewarding,” said Mr St Ange.

Compiled by Gerard Govinden