President Hichilema Declares Official Funeral, National Mourning for Late Minister Edith Nawakwi
Lusaka, Zambia – April 9, 2025
President Hakainde Hichilema has declared an official funeral for former Cabinet Minister Edith Nawakwi, who passed away on Monday, April 7, 2025, in South Africa. The late minister’s body will arrive in Zambia on Thursday, April 10, at 12:40 hours via South African Airways at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.
In a presidential proclamation, Mr. Hichilema also designated Friday, April 11, as a day of national mourning in honor of Ms. Nawakwi’s service to the nation. The public is expected to observe the day with solemnity from 06:00 to 18:00 hours, with all entertainment programming suspended and flags flown at half-mast nationwide.
Ms. Nawakwi, 66, died at Garden City Hospital in Johannesburg, where she had been evacuated for specialized medical treatment. A prominent figure in Zambia’s political history, she served in various ministerial roles under the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) government, most notably as the country’s first female Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
Her funeral will take place on Friday at Leopards Hill Memorial Park in Lusaka, where she will be laid to rest with state honors in recognition of her contributions to Zambia’s development between 1993 and 2001.
The government has called on citizens to reflect on her legacy of public service and leadership during the mourning period.
