ZAMBIA: Mwanawasa’s body arrives in Zambia

THE late Levy Mwanawasa’s body is now back in Zambia, as the late President Mwanawasa of Zambia spent the weekend laying in state. The President suffered a stroke in June, from which he never recovered; he died in France last Tuesday.

While a military band played, and fighter jets flew overhead, there was a military guard of honour to meet the flight last Saturday, which fired a salute over the coffin.  After the salute, the President’s brother, Sanshika Mwanawasa, thanked the Zambian people “for your generous support in this our hour of need without which,” he added, “the burden would have been too heavy to bear.”

A member of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy, Mr Charles Mwape, commented, “He is irreplaceable. We have lost a great leader and it will be difficult to fill the gap.”

The late Levy Mwanawasa became President of Zambia in 2001, and was re-elected in 2006. Until his death he was Chairman of the 14-Nation Southern African Development Community (SADC), a position which will now be held for the next two had a half years by President Thabo Mbeki, of South Africa.

Presiddent Levy Mwanawasa (dob 3^rd September 1948) was born in Mufulira, the second eldest child in a family of 10. He will be buried on 3^rd September, 2008 which was to have been his 60^th Birthday. He graduated from the University of Zambia holding a law degree, and, working in private law firms from 1974-1978, he then formed Mwanawasa & Co.

In 1985 he served as Solicitor General of the Republic of Zambia but returned to work as a senior partner in private practice until he was named as Vice President of Zambia in December 1991. Shortly afterwards he was involved in a road traffic accident in which his aide died immediately. Suffering multiple body injuries, he was flown to a hospital in Johannesburg where he recovered after 3 months.

He returned to Zambia to continue serving as Vice President from 1991-1994,”when he resigned and retired, citing gross abuse of office and corruption by some leaders and insubordination to him by some colleagues.”

In 1996 he retired from active politics again after contesting the Presidency of MMD. In 2001 he won the election as Presidential candidate for National Executive Committee, beating 10 other candidates including two former Vice Presidents.

Married twice, he is the father of six children. His second wife Maureen, mother to four of his children, is a baptized member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In his absence, Vice President Rupiah Banda, is the interim leader of Zambia.  Zambia must now hold elections within 90 days to decide who will succeed the late President.