Zambia and France deny Mwanawasa death rumours

By Lance Guma
03 July 2008

Zambia’s chief government spokesman Mike Mulongoti has denied South African media reports that President Levy Mwanawasa had died in a French hospital Thursday. He insisted Mwanawasa was ‘alive and stable’ in a Paris hospital and that ‘the stories (about his death) are coming from South Africa and have now spread to the rest of the world.’ Mulongoti appealed to the media in South Africa ‘to restrain themselves as they are causing anguish and pain to the Zambian people.’ He also denied reports that meetings between senior army and government officials were related to the reported death, saying ‘these are normal briefings and its government business as usual.’

On Sunday Mwanawasa suffered a stroke in Egypt, ahead of the African Union summit. He was later transferred to the Percy military hospital in Paris. On Thursday South Africa’s Radio 702, quoting a spokesman at the Zambian High Commission, reported that he had died. Radio 702 quoted the head of protocol, Malone Zaza, at the High Commission, but Zambian officials insisted no-one by that name is employed there. The French Foreign Ministry has also denied reports of Mwanawasa’s death, although they declined to comment on his health. The story picked up steam when South African president Thabo Mbeki also announced Mwanawasa’s death at a ceremony in Pretoria on Thursday.

The news, if true, would be a bitter blow to millions of suffering Zimbabweans who looked up to Mwanawasa as one of the few remaining bold African leaders capable of standing up to Mugabe. As chairman of the Southern African Development Community, Mwanawasa broke with tradition when he criticized Mugabe for the crisis in the country. In March 2007 he likened Zimbabwe to a sinking titanic, where it’s citizens were fleeing like passengers jumping off a ship to save their lives. He branded South Africa’s policy of ‘quiet diplomacy’ as a failure and called for tougher action. He accused Mbeki of denying him information as SADC chair, on the mediation process regarding Zimbabwe.

At the African Union summit in Egypt Mwanawasa was due to sit next to Mugabe, according to the seat arrangements, but sadly suffered this stroke on arrival. His illness and non attendance at the summit came as a relief to Mugabe and might have given Mbeki more room to try and legitimize Mugabe’s stolen June 27 election.

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