Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu died on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at the age of 68 while receiving specialized medical treatment in Pretoria, South Africa.

His daughter, Tasila Lungu, a member of Zambia’s parliament, announced his death in an emotional video, stating that his illness had been managed with dignity and privacy.

Lungu had been under medical supervision in recent weeks, suffering from recurring achalasia, a rare disorder that causes narrowing of the oesophagus and had previously required treatment in South Africa.

Lungu served as Zambia’s sixth president from 2015 to 2021. He first assumed office following the death of President Michael Sata, winning a special election in January 2015.

He was re-elected in 2016 for a full term but lost the 2021 election to current President Hakainde Hichilema. 

His presidency was marked by ambitious infrastructure projects, particularly a massive road-building programme, but also by economic turmoil, culminating in Zambia defaulting on its international debt in 2020. The country’s financial crisis and rising unemployment contributed significantly to his electoral defeat.

After his 2021 loss, Lungu initially stepped back from politics but attempted a comeback in 2023, seeking to run for president again.

However, Zambia’s Constitutional Court ruled in December 2024 that he was ineligible to seek another term, having already served the maximum allowed by law.

Lungu was born on November 11, 1956, in Ndola, in Zambia’s Copperbelt region. A lawyer by training, he served as justice and defence minister before ascending to the presidency. 

Lungu’s legacy is mixed: he is remembered for both his infrastructure achievements and for leaving Zambia with significant financial challenges. 

His death comes just six months after his final attempt to return to political office was blocked by the courts.

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