3 July 2008
Top Zambian officials are denying reports that President Levy Mwanawasa has died, news agencies reported Thursday.
Mwanawasa was transferred to a French hospital after suffering a stroke in Egypt on the eve of this week's African Union summit.
A Johannesburg radio station said on Thursday that a Zambian diplomat in South Africa had confirmed Mwanawasa's death, but Reuters reported later from Lusaka that Vice President Rupiah Banda had issued a statement saying the report was not true.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) said Zambian Information Minister Mike Mulongoti made a special radio and television broadcast in which he said: "We spoke with the people at Mwanawasa's bedside a few minutes ago, including his wife, Maureen, who said President Mwanawasa was still alive and breathing."
However, dpa quoted other, unnamed Zambian sources as saying the reports were true and Banda had called a special cabinet meeting. Mulongoti said the government would issue another bulletin on Mwanawasa's condition early Thursday evening.
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May the lord heal our beloved president. we love him for his confident courage no fear no favour and fighting corruption. hes a hero! please lord i trust and believe u will heal him. frm chikosaula
I pray and hope that the information spreading that our beloved President His Excellency Dr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa State Council is dead, is force.
We were caught up with fear this morning when the rumour went round this morning desturbing classes as lecturers and students could not concetrate. Some students started weeping and were only stopped when it was said that there was no confirmation.
The 13:15 ZNBC Network news was however reassuring. Right now all of us hope that let this end up as a bad rumour. Zambia still need President Mwanawasa.Our country could have not being were it it had it no been for radical leadership of Mwanawasa. God bless us.
The death reports are indeed disturbing. I hope they end as rumors and wish that the president pulls through. May God take control.
I just hope the Zambian Government could inform us with total accuracy and dispel these rumours. But as a person who works in the hospital and deals with these issues everyday, i will tell you people over here what i expect to happen.There are three scenarios that i thing will possibly happen.First of all, if he had a stroke and it is conformed it was a stroke not a minor stroke, then it is almost unlikely that he will ever be president again even if he survives.With a stroke, i expect that he will lose function on half side of his body and in some cases lose his mental capacity forever, but if his mind is there he still can be president but it will be very hard for him to run the country because it will be many months of physical therapy,many months to see if his mind will be the same as before and it will take a long time to know for sure the damage done, unless brain scan results are released and i know they will not released.Second scenario, he maybe brain dead, clinically that means he is dead, he is just on life support and it will be upto his wife or relatives to decide to either pull the plug and let him eventually die or decide to keep him there, he can be on life support for even 20 years but never wake up.The final scenario is that he was mis diagnosed with a stroke, maybe he had a brain hemorrage and if he is lucky and it wasnt fatal, he will surive and just be fine but he will need a future with much medication and needs to be monitored alot. Personally, i dont think the outcome is good if he had a stroke, let us prepare for the worst but put him prayer for the best case scenario.
Mwanawasa had a craniotomy [skull was opened] to stop a bleeding vein. This also qualifies as stroke the term used in layman's language to describe paralysis of one side of the body.
Unclefole, I agree with your observation that government leaders accurately tell us what is happening regarding the President. Just insisting that he is alive and stable is not enough in my view; remember how the issue of Yasser Arafat's death was handled? The French initially denied the reports until they realised they could no longer keep it under wraps. But that said, I wish Levy a quick recovery. Man, you still have a lot of work to do. But I also suggest if doctors recommend that you step down, do so in the interest of your health. We can still use your counsel as a former president, you know.
Yestoday was a day to rememeber as nation,we were filled with fear,tramurtised and panic was the moment for the whole day,but thank God goodnews come out and we went back to normal.the whole nation was moved with this sudden and unprepared news,because most Zambians love the President.Knowing that we are a christian nation,most of the people went on there knees praying for a miracle to happen,Praise God the Lord answered our cry,The president is still alive.when i heard that he is still alive,my heart was filled with great joy,tears run down my face and i felt unoverwhelming peace swept my heart.Yes there is GOD in heaven,no matter what people say God has the final say over any humanbeing.It's a lesson to people that back news spreads fast and goodnews will always move very slow.... As the sun rises on the Zambia today,in deed it's a new day over mother Zambia,arise and go forth to destiny,your leader is safe and sound in the hands of the creater,may joy fill your hearts today and celebrate the goodness of the Lord.This is your season of restoration.Have a blessed day mother Zambia.fly on eagles wings today
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I pray and hope that the information spreading that our beloved President His Excellency Dr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa State Council is dead, is force.
We were caught up with fear this morning when the rumour went round this morning desturbing classes as lecturers and students could not concetrate. Some students started weeping and were only stopped when it was asid that ther is no confirmation.
The 13:15 ZNBC Network news was however reassuring and right now all of us hope that let this rumour end up as a bad rumour. Zambia still need President Mwanawasa.Our country could have not being were it si had it no been for radical leadership of Mwanawasa. God bless us.