Academician Prof Chigunta dies

Prof Francis Chigunta

UNZA Lecturer, Cambridge and Oxford trained development economist Francis Chigunta is dead.

Prof. Chigunta who also served as Political Adviser to fiftieth Zambia’s President Rupiah Banda died Saturday evening, a family friend has told Zambian Eye. He died on the way to the hospital.

Last year he suffered a stroke and it is not yet clear whether he had recurrence yesterday, a source said.

And the death of Prof Chigunta has been received with shock.

Australia based Zambian Academician Dr Nalukui Nawa said today is s sad day for Zambia.

“This is a sad day for Zambia. One of Zambia’s finest minds, a leading development policy specialist, a fine thinker, a brilliant academic, eloquent speaker, a genius, a fountain of classic development knowledge, an Ox-Bridge scholar is gone!!” Dr Nalukui said.

“Professor FRANCIS CHIGUNTA is no more. This is a big loss for the University of Zambia and indeed Zambia as a whole. Prof. CHIGUNTA’s presence in academic and professional fora that we shared always vibrated unmatched level of intelligence. He was indeed a great brother. Go well my brother, will forever miss you!!! MYSRIEP!!!”

National Secretary, Economics Association of Zambia Herryman Moono who was also trained at Oxford has described Prof. Francis Chigunta as a fine Academician.

“On Friday 16:36 I missed a call from Prof. Francis Chigunta, the Cambridge and Oxford trained development economist who also taught me development studies at UNZA. Recently we became colleagues and had been working on developing a large project together and he was providing guidance to a project I was leading. The plan was we would link up tomorrow and plan next steps.

Today, I hear he has passed on.