Zambia’s founding President, Kenneth Kaunda, who led the Southern African country for over 27 years, has died at the age of 97.
The news of his death was announced on Thursday by Zambia’s President, Edgar Lungu, on his Facebook page.
Lungu wrote: “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.”
Kamarange Kaunda, the late president’s son, also announced the news of the statesman’s death on Facebook.
“I am sad to inform we have lost Mzee. Let’s pray for him,” he wrote.
On Monday, the founding president of the African nation was admitted to a military hospital in the capital Lusaka where he was being treated for pneumonia.
Kaunda was Zambia’s first president after the country gained independence from Britain.
He led the country from 1964 until 1991 and is known as one of the giants in the African continent’s fight against colonialism.
