By Yolanda Kasakula
Its a sad day for Zambians and its neighbours as the country has lost its former president. Rupiah Bwezani Banda has died at the age of 85 after a 2 year battle with colon cancer. He was the fourth President of Zambia from 2008 to 2011
“He died around 1900 hours today,” said his son Andrew, Banda’s second eldest child, confirmed the death.
Following the 2006 parliamentary elections, he was appointed Vice-President of the Zambia when Levi Mwanawasa won the presidency. He assumed the presidency of Mwanawasa following Mwanawasa’s stroke in June 2008, and became acting president following Mwanawasa’s death in August 2008. A candidate for the multi-party Democratic ruling movement, he won the presidential election in October 2008. In elections of September 2011, he was defeated by opposition leader Michael Sata.
As President, Rupia Banda committed to improving Zambia’s economy to ensure security, stability and prosperity for all Zambians. In particular, he worked to improve health care and education, increase agricultural production, and ensure and increase employment opportunities in Zambia, especially for people in rural areas.
President Banda belongs to a generation of young people involved in Zambia’s anti-colonial struggle. At the age of 27, he became Zambia’s first ambassador to Egypt. He left office in 1967, the year of the Six-Day War. At the age of 30, he was the ambassador of Zambia to the United States and moved to Washington, D.C.
