Zambia has declared seven days of national mourning for former President Edgar Lungu, who died in South Africa on Thursday at age 68.
He led the southern African nation from January 2015 until his defeat by current President Hakainde Hichilema in August 2021.
President Hichilema has accorded Lungu a state funeral, according to Cabinet Secretary Patrick Kangwa.
All flags will fly at half-mast from June 8 to 14, and entertainment events will be suspended.
Lungu’s body is expected to arrive in Zambia next Wednesday, with Belvedere Lodge in Lusaka designated as the official mourning site.
His political party, the Patriotic Front (PF), stated he was receiving specialized medical treatment in Pretoria for recurring achalasia, a narrowing of the esophagus.