President Lungu Collapses At Defence Force Day Ceremony

President Edgar Lungu collapsed during a four-hour ceremony to commemorate Defence Force Day in Lusaka on Sunday. According to a statement from State House, the president experienced “sudden dizziness” during the ceremony and was immediately taken back to his official residence to recover. 

The president’s principal private secretary, Dr Simon Miti, has issued a statement assuring the public that Mr Lungu is well and continuing to carry out his duties as president. 

This is not the first time President Lungu has suffered from poor health. In 2015, he collapsed after giving a speech during a Women’s Day event in Lusaka, just two months after taking office. He was rushed to a military hospital, where officials said he was receiving treatment for malaria. However, further testing revealed the issue to be a condition with the president’s oesophagus, or food pipe, which makes it difficult for him to swallow food and led to low blood sugar levels. 

Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has wished the president a speedy recovery following his most recent collapse on Sunday. Writing on social media, HH said, “I wish my brother Mr. Edgar C. Lungu a quick and complete recovery, and God’s blessings.” 

Sunday’s ceremony took place at the Freedom Statue on Independence Avenue and saw the president conduct an investiture ceremony to honour Zambia’s gallant men and women in uniform. 

The day was also commemorated with a display of military equipment, including trucks and rockets, as well as a flypast over the ceremony by a squadron of fighter jets and military planes.