Rupiah Banda, the former President of Zambia, has died at the age of 85.
According to Reuters the former leader passed away after a battle with colon cancer.
Banda served as President of Zambia from 2008 to 2011, succeeding Levy Mwanawasa who died in office in that year. He also served as vice-president under Mwanawasa from 2006.
He was succeeded by Zambian President by Michael Sata, who beat him in a presidential election in 2011.
Banda was born in 1937 in what is today, Zimbabwe. His parents had migrated to Southern Rhodesia from Northern Rhodesia (today Zambia) in search of employment. He became involved in politics when he joined the United National Independence Party (UNIP) in 1960. UNIP went on to govern Zambia from independence in 1964 until 1991. Banda served as a diplomat and was involved in Zambian agriculture, before entering Parliament in the 1970s.
He also served as the minister of foreign affairs and as the minister of mines.
Banda had long been a UNIP stalwart but changed allegiance to the Movement for Multi-party Democracy in 2006, after being appointed to the vice-presidency by Mwanawasa.
There were serious allegations of corruption against Banda and the Zambian Parliament stripped him of his immunity from prosecution, but he was never convicted by a court.
Current Zambian president, Hakainde Hichilema, said in a televised address: ‘We recognise with fondness his long and illustrious career in public service and we appreciate his service to the nation.’
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