Former Zambia vice president George Kunda dies at 56By MICHAEL CHAWE in Lusaka | Monday, April 16  2012 at  19:49

Former Zambia Vice President George Kunda has Monday afternoon died in a Lusaka hospital where he had been hospitalised for the past three weeks.

Dr Luxon Kasonka, the managing director of the University Teaching Hospital, said Mr Kunda, 56, has succumbed to anaemia related causes.

Mr Kunda, a lawyer by profession before being tapped by former President Levy Mwanawasa into politics, was nominated to parliament following a general election in 2001.

He was subsequently appointed Justice minister and Attorney General in 2002.

Mr Kunda served as President Rupiah Banda's deputy between 2008 and September 2011 when the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy lost power to the Patriotic Front led by Michael Sata.

He was critical of the new PF-led government over what he said was the harassment of the former ruling party's members.

At the time of his death he was the elected member of parliament for Muchinga Constituency in Zambia's Central Province.

Rumours of his death in 2010 did the rounds after he travelled to South Africa for three weeks for medical treatment, claims he attributed to ill-wishers.

He was born on February 26, 1956 in Luanshya, Copperbelt Province.