Jailed Zambian ex-president visited by family, lawyers

Detained former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda has been visited in prison by members of his family and legal representatives, Zambian radio reported on Sunday.

It quoted the chairman of Kaunda's United National Independence Party (UNIP), Malimba Masheke, as telling journalists in Lusaka that UNIP legal secretary Mangala Zalome was amongst those who visited Kaunda at the Mukebeko Maximum Prison in Kabwe.

Masheke said Kaunda, who has been on hunger strike since being detained four days ago, looked weak from lack of food and water.

He said UNIP was demanding the immediate and unconditional release of its leader.

The UNIP chairman described Kaunda's detention as an attempt to sideline him from the party, the radio said.

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.