Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the legacy of the late former President of Zambia, Dr Kenneth Kaunda.

The UK is mourning with Zambia the loss of their Founding Father, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, an African icon and respected statesman. He was someone who did so much for his country and for the region, and was renowned for bringing people together. Kaunda came to power following independence from the UK in 1964 and he stayed in power until 1991. He was a leading member of the Non-Aligned Movement and a tireless campaigner for Southern Rhodesian independence and against Apartheid. After retiring from politics Kaunda was active in raising awareness about HIV. As a leader of the "liberation struggle" (and the last survivor of the generation of Africans who led their countries to independence from Britain in the 1960s), his death will be mourned across southern Africa. To honour his legacy, I attended his state funeral on 2 July, meeting with his family beforehand at the family home, and I delivered a national address of condolences on behalf of HMG at the funeral. During my visit, I also met with Zambian Church leaders who are helping to preserve Dr Kaunda's legacy in their call for unity and peace at this difficult time.