Former Zambia President Rupiah Banda Dies at 85

Former Zambia President, Rupiah Banda, died late Friday at his home in the capital Lusaka.

Banda who was Zambia’s fourth president died at the age of 85.

He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2020.

It was his son Andrew Banda who told a local radio station that his father had passed.

The news was later confirmed by President Hakainde Hichilema on national TV and radio later in the night.

Banda ruled Zambia from 2008 to 2011 before losing his seat to the late Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front.

Factfile:

Rupiah Bwezani Banda (19 February 1937 – 11 March 2022) was a Zambian politician who served as the fourth president of Zambia from 2008 to 2011 taking over from Levy Mwanawasa who died as the sitting president.

Banda was an active member in politics since the presidency of Kenneth Kaunda where he held several diplomatic posts.

In October 2006 he was appointed the vice-president by Mwanawasa.

After Mwanawasa suffered a stroke in June 2008, and following Mwanawasa’s death in August 2008, he became acting president.

During the October 2008 by elections, he narrowly won against opposition leader Michael Sata of the Patriotic Front and he was eventually defeated in the September 2011 presidential election, and Sata accordingly succeeded Banda as president on 23 September 2011.