JUNE: A MONTH OF REFLECTION FOR ZAMBIA

 JUNE: A MONTH OF REFLECTION FOR ZAMBIA





June has become a deeply emotional month for Zambia, marking the anniversaries of the passing of three former Heads of State: President Kenneth Kaunda, President Frederick Chiluba, and now, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu.


The death of President Edgar Lungu on 5th June 2025 not only adds to the significance of this month, but also marks the end of an era—he was Zambia’s last surviving former President.


President Kenneth Kaunda (1924–2021)


On 17th June 2021, Zambia bid farewell to its founding father, Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda, who passed away at the age of 97 in Lusaka. A towering figure in Zambia’s history, President Kaunda led the nation to independence in 1964 and served as its first Republican President until 1991. His leadership helped shape Zambia’s early post-independence identity, and he is remembered for his commitment to peace, education, and African unity.


President Frederick Chiluba (1943–2011)


President Frederick Jacob Titus Chiluba, Zambia’s second Republican President, passed away on 18th June 2011 at his home in Lusaka, aged 68. As the architect of Zambia’s return to multi-party democracy, he led the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) to a historic victory over President Kaunda’s UNIP in 1991. Chiluba’s presidency remains a defining era of political transformation, economic liberalization, and controversy. In June 2025, Zambia marks 14 years since his passing.


President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (1956–2025)


On 5th June 2025, Zambia mourned the passing of Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, the sixth Republican President, who died in Pretoria, South Africa, at Medforum Clinic, while undergoing medical treatment. He was 68. President Lungu served from 2015 to 2021, presiding over a period of infrastructure expansion, economic challenges, and political transition. His passing has deeply touched the nation, closing the chapter on a generation of post-independence leadership.



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As Zambians reflect this June, the nation remembers the contributions, ideals, and complexities of its past leaders. Their legacies—each distinct—remain integral to Zambia’s ongoing journey toward unity, development, and democracy.


© Zambia Reports

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