Edgar Lungu, Zambia
Zambia, in October 2015, announced a cancellation of football matches and closing of bars to make way for a day of prayer and fasting. This was after the president, Edgar Lungu, ordered his country to pray as Zambia’s currency, kwacha, came under pressure, falling 45 per cent against the dollar. This was due to a sharp drop in the price of copper, the country’s main export. The economy was struggling as food prices had shot up and businesses were crumbling due to an erratic power supply. Critics of the government accused Lungu of failing to tackle the causes of country’s economic troubles, adding that the prayer day was a distraction.
