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Levi Mwanawasa
PRESIDENT
2002 - 2008
The defense rests:
Zambia mourns death
of Mwanawasa,
the
first Zambian president to die in office.
Levi Patrick Mwanawasa was born on Sept. 3, 1948
in Mufulira,
Zambia. He
was the 2nd born child in a family of 10.
He holds a law degree from the University
of Zambia. He worked in
private law firms from 1974 until 1978 when he formed his own firm Mwanawasa & Company. In 1985, Mwanawasa
served as Solicitor General of the Republic
of Zambia but went back
to private practice the following year. He worked as senior partner in this
firm until March 1992 when he was named as Vice
President of Zambia in December 1991.
On Dec. 8, 1991,
Mwanawasa while on duty was involved in a nasty
road traffic accident in which his aide died on the spot. He suffered
multiple body injuries. He was flown to Johannesburg
South Africa for medical treatment. He
remained in hospital for 3 months.
Mwanawasa served as Vice President of Zambia
from 1991 until 1994 when he resigned citing gross abuse of office and
corruption by some leaders and insubordination to him by some colleagues. In
1996, he contested presidency of MMD and lost. He
retired from active politics again.
In August this year, the National Executive Committee elected Mwanawasa as its presidential candidate for the 2001
elections. He won the election, beating 10 other candidates including two
former vice presidents.
Mwanawasa and wife, Maureen, have four children
– Chipokota, Matolo,
Lubona and Ntembe. He
also has two other children Miriam and Patrick from his first marriage. His
wife is a baptized member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Mwanawasa died on August 19, 2008.
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