Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia, died on Thursday at the age of 97 in a hospital where he was being treated for pneumonia.
"Cabinet secretary Simon Miti said in an address on public television that Kaunda 'died peacefully' at 2:30pm (12:30 GMT) at a military hospital where he had been receiving treatment since Monday," AFP reported.
Zambian President Edgar Lungu described Kaunda as "our beloved founding father, icon and global statesman".
Kaunda came into prominence as he fought for independence of northern Rhodesia (as Zambia was known then) in the 1950s.
Kaunda ruled Zambia for 27 years from the time the country gained independence from Great Britain in October 1964. Kaunda became famous for his support to independence and black equality movements of other African nations, including most notably the African National Congress (ANC), then run by Nelson Mandela.
"During his rule, Kaunda made Zambia a centre for anti-colonial groups fighting to end white minority rule in southern African countries including Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Kaunda allowed the guerilla organisations to maintain military bases, training camps, refugee centres and administrative offices," Associated Press reported.
Kaunda was dubbed 'Africa's Gandhi' for his espousal of non-violent independence activism in the 1960s. However, his popularity in Zambia waned as he became increasingly autocratic and banned all opposition.
The New York Times noted, "Mr. Kaunda espoused what he called African humanism, a vague political philosophy of his own devising that extolled private initiative while promoting welfare-state programs and a spirit of community."
Kaunda ceded power in Zambia's first multi-party elections in 1991 as he lost to trade unionist Fredrick Chiluba. Kaunda later emerged as a pan-African statesman as he mediated crises in countries such as Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Kaunda also became a spokesperson of the campaign against AIDS in Africa; one of his sons died of the virus. "We fought colonialism. We must now use the same zeal to fight AIDS, which threatens to wipe out Africa," Kaunda told Reuters in 2002.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Kaunda on Twitter. Modi tweeted on Thursday night, "Saddened to hear of the demise of Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda, a respected world leader and statesman. My deepest condolences to his family and the people of Zambia."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted Kaunda was "A champion of African freedom, he will continue to be a source of inspiration for generations to come".
