Zambian President Mwanawasa Buried

Lusaka, Zambia
Zambia’s late President, Levy Mwanawasa, was buried Wednesday at a funeral attended by several heads of state and millions of Zambians in Lusaka. AU Chairman and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete lauded the late Zambian leader as a visionary Pan-Africanist, while South African President Thabo Mbeki, who chairs the Southern African Development Community, described him as a courageous leader who always spoke his mind. Mwanawasa, 59, died at a French hospital on 19 August, two months after suffering a stroke while attending an African Union summit in Egypt. He won wide recognition for his high level war against corruption, economic reforms and open criticism of Zimbabwe’s political and economic meltdown. [PE]