Zambia’s former president Edgar Lungu has passed away at the age of 68 on Thursday, June 5.
He had "been receiving specialized treatment in South Africa" for an undisclosed illness, the Patriotic Front (PF) added.
However, ten years ago he had surgery on his throat in another country.
At that time, his office said he had a condition where his oesophagus had become narrow which made it hard for him to swallow.
Edgar was president from 2015 to 2021, but lost the election in 2021 to the current president, Hakainde Hichilema, by a big margin of votes.
After losing the 2021 election, Edgar Lungu took a break from politics, however, he later got involved again and wanted to run for president once more.
But at the end of last year, the Constitutional Court stopped him from doing so, saying he had already served two terms, which is the legal limit in Zambia.
Lungu's daughter pays emotional tribute to father:
In a short video, Lungu's daughter Tasila said that the former head of state, who had been "under medical supervision in recent weeks", died at a clinic in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, at 06:00 (04:00 GMT) on Thursday, reported BBC.
"In this moment of grief, we invoke the spirit of 'One Zambia, One Nation' - the timeless creed that guided President Lungu's service to our country," she added.
Even though Edgar was not allowed to become president again, he still had a lot of power and respect in Zambian politics.
