Zambia’s founding father, Kenneth Kaunda, has died aged 97, it was officially announced in the country’s capital, Lusaka, on Thursday.
Kaunda, also popularly known as KK, served as the first President of Zambia from 1964 to 1991.
Kaunda died on Thursday following a struggle with pneumonia.
Cabinet secretary Simon Miti said in an address on public television that Kaunda “died peacefully” at 2:30 pm (1230 GMT) at a military hospital where he had been admitted on Monday with pneumonia.
He declared 21 days of national mourning, in which flags will fly at half mast and ordered all forms of entertainment suspended.
President Edgar Lungu said he learnt of Kaunda’s death with “great sadness”.
“You have gone at a time we least expected,” he said on Facebook, describing him as a “true African icon.”
