Yesterday, reports were rife that Zambia’s President, Levy Mwanawasa had passed away in France after suffering a stroke on Sunday before the African Union summit in Egypt. A Johannesburg-based radio station, Talk Radio 702, yesterday quoted a Zambian embassy spokesperson as saying Mwanawasa was dead. Even South Africa’s President, Thabo Mbeki passed on his condolences at a public speech he made only to later make an apology that he was given wrong information and that the Zambian president was actually still alive. I wonder where the news originally surfaced from that Mwanawasa was dead?
Zambian Information Minister Mike Mulongoti has come out and condemned media reports that said President Levy Mwanawasa had died in a Paris hospital yesterday. He says he is in a stable condition. Mulongoti says doctors are confident that his condition will improve.
Who do we believe now? It would make sense to take the word of the Zambian government who are saying their president is alive and well but as the old cliche goes; where there is smoke there is fire. There must have been something behind the reports suggesting that he has passed away. InTheNews.co.za would like to wish President Mwanawasa a speedy recovery.
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[…] an African Union (AU) summit in Egypt, in June this year. At that time, reports had surfaced that Mwanawasa had actually passed away but that was not true. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed his sadness on […]