Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, whose health has been in question for some time now (Thabo Mbeki caused a bit of a stir when he mistakenly announced a few weeks ago that Mwanawasa had died) has passed away. Observers fear that Mwanawasa's death could have two repurcussions, the first being causing political instability in Zambia, the second being that his death might have a ripple effect on the Zimbabwean peace negotiations.
Mwanawasa had become one of the most vocal critics of Robert Mugabe in recent years, and one of the few African leaders willing to speak out about the madness unfurling south of the Zambesi. As head of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had pushed for negotiations in the wake of the election madness that Mugabe had wrought.
