Lusaka Mayor Kalumba dies
LUSAKA Mayor Wilson Kalumba has died. He was 54.
Mr Kalumba died yesterday around 11:40 hours at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), following an illness, Minister of local Government Vincent Mwale confirmed.
Mr Mwale said the mayor was unwell for some time and was on medication, but despite his illness, had continued to discharge his duties.
In 2016, Mr Kalumba, who was the founder and chief executive officer of Credit Rating Agency, was elected Mayor of Lusaka on the ticket of the Patriotic Front, defeating his closest rival, Maureen Mwanawasa of the United Party for National Development (UPND).
He was a qualified chartered accountant (ACCA) from Emily Wolf College in London and a fellow member of the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA).
Mr Kalumba later obtained a master of business Administration (MBA) degree from Edinbugh Business school at Heriot-watt University in Scotland, United Kingdom.
Before entering politics, Mr Kalumba started his career in 1990 working for Price Water House, an auditing firm but left after a year and joined, another auditing firm, Coopers & Lybrand.
He also left the firm the same year and joined the Bank of Zambia.
Mr Kalumba worked with the Bank of Zambia for 18 years as deputy director in the bank’s supervision department.
He is the first executive mayor under the new electoral system.
Meanwhile, Mr Kalumba has been described as a workaholic even when his health deteriorated.
Councillor Douglas Tembo of Mulungushi ward in Mandevu Constituency 18 said the mayor was in his office on Monday afternoon, within 24 hours to his death, as he prepared to take a trip of duty to neighbouring Malawi. He said it was unbelievable that the man he was talking to hardly a day ago was no more.
And Lusaka Town Clerk Alex Mwansa attested to the late mayor’s commitment to work, saying Mr Kalumba never missed a day at the office unless he was bedridden.
The funeral is being held at House number 42, Chitemene Road, off Sibweni Road in Northmead, Lusaka.