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Southern Africa Zambia Thousands at Zambian president's funeral
Southern Africa Zambia Thousands at Zambian president's funeral
Sep
03
2008
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 Southern African leaders gathered in Zambia on Wednesday at the funeral of President Levy Mwanawasa, who turned Africa's biggest copper producer into a rare African success story. Thousands of Zambians attended the funeral and were seated in tents
erected at the parliamentary complex in the capital Lusaka. National
flags flew at half-mast.
Mwanawasa, 59, died in a French military hospital last month after
suffering a stroke in June. He had led Zambia since 2001 and was
re-elected in 2006.
Five air force jets flew by and a 21-gun salute honoured Mwanawasa as he was lowered into his grave in a copper-plated coffin.
Vice President Rupiah Banda is acting president, and a presidential election is expected in November.
The ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) will choose its
presidential candidate on Friday. More than a dozen candidates are
jostling to replace Mwanawasa.
South African President Thabo Mbeki, Botswana's leader Seretse Khama
Ian Khama and the presidents of Namibia, Mozambique and Malawi also
attended the funeral.
Mwanawasa set himself apart from other regional leaders by speaking out
about the turmoil in Zimbabwe, and was one of the fiercest critics of
President Robert Mugabe, who paid tribute to Mwanawasa.
Mwanawasa was a very courageous leader. He was very frank and wanted
to change not only his country but the entire southern African region.
We will greatly miss him Zambian state radio quoted Mugabe as saying
on arrival in Lusaka for the funeral.
TOUGH ON CORRUPTION
Mwanawasa's tough stance against corruption in Zambia endeared him to
donor countries and his policies won the country billions of dollars in
debt relief.
Mwanawasa's economic management helped produce strong growth averaging
5 percent annually over the last six years, though many Zambians still
live in poverty.
Mbeki said Mwanawasa's death was a loss to Africa.
We will remember his contributions to deepen democracy in the region .
. . The son of Africa was committed to accelerating infrastructure
development in the region, he said.
Mwanawasa's widow Maureen told mourners at the funeral that she felt
sorry most of all for the orphans Mwanawasa took care of through his
local Baptist church.
He was the father of all. It is the orphans he took care of that bring pain to my throat, they are orphaned again.
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