LUSAKA
Zambian President Michael Sata died on Tuesday evening in London at the age of 77, local media has reported.
According to Zambia reports, Sata, who had been receiving medical treatment in London for the past week, died on Tuesday night in a central London hotel where he moved to two days earlier after checking out of the Harley Street Clinic.
Speculation regarding Sata's health condition has been swirling in the past few weeks after he failed to show up for a scheduled address before the U.N. General Assembly in New York last month.
He left the country last week just a few days before the 50th anniversary of independence.
Upon his departure, he delegated his presidential powers to his Minister of Defense Edgar Lungu.
Zambia government has confirmed President Sata's death in London.
The government named vice president Guy Scott as acting president following leader's death.
Sata, who leads the ruling Patriotic Front, assumed power in September 2011 after defeating then president Rupiah Banda of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, which had ruled Zambia for 20 years.
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