By JOHN SAKALA
Gender Minister Victoria Kalima has died. Ms Kalima, who was also Kasenengwa PF Member of Parliament, died around 21:00 hours at Maina Soko Military Hospital where she had been hospitalised.
Patriotic Front Secretary General Davies Mwila confirmed the death of Kalima in a statement today, saying the minister died at Maina Soko Military Hospital in Lusaka.
“The Patriotic Front knew Hon Victoria Kalima as a fighter. She fought so many battles and overcame. Even when her health started failing her, she remained extremely dedicated to duty, giving all of us hope that she would pull through. She was a critical voice in the Patriotic Front. Sadly the cold hand of death has robbed her from our midst,” Mwila said.
“As Minister of Gender, she ensured that her Ministry occupied its rightful place in fast-tracking the place of the Zambian women in the country’s development aspirations.”
He sent a message of condolences to the deceased family and called on all PF members to join in mourning the late minister with a sense of unity of purpose.
Ms Kalima was born in October 1972 and came into Parliament in 2011 as Kasenegwa MP on MMD ticket.
In 2012 she stood for the rights of a group of journalists who were detained after having had their cameras confiscated.
In 2016 she defected to the Patriotic Front and stood for elections which she won.
Following that, she was appointed as Gender Minister by President Edgar Lungu.
She became a fierce activist against gender inequality and child marriages.
In 2017, she proposed a revised version of the Marriage Bill which will ban any marriages between a man and a woman until both are at least 21 years of age.
Details for her funeral and burial are yet to be communicated.
As PF South Africa we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Kalima family on the untimely death of Ms Kalima.
