Zambia's first President Kenneth Kaunda has died at the age of 97, according to the Zambian government. Secretary to the Cabinet Simon Miti said on Thursday that Kaunda died at 2:30 p.m. local time at Main Soko Hospital, a military hospital, where he had been admitted since Monday, in Lusaka, the country's capital.

Miti did not disclose the cause of his death. Kaunda's office said earlier this week that preliminary tests had indicated that he had pneumonia, the Xinhua news agency reported.