Leader death report angers Zambia

South Africa's president held a minute's silence for Mr Mwanawasa

A Zambian minister has accused South African media of "malice" after they issued reports - later retracted - that Zambia's president had died.

Information Minister Mike Mulongoti said the reports had caused "panic and damage" for Zambians.

President Levy Mwanawasa, 59, is in intensive care at a hospital in Paris after suffering a stroke at an African Union summit in Egypt last weekend.

Vice-President Rupiah Banda said Mr Mwanawasa's condition was stable.

On Thursday, South African radio quoted a spokesman who said he was from Zambia's High Commission as saying Mr Mwanawasa had died.

The doctors attending to (Mr Mwanawasa) are happy with progress he has made so far Zambia Vice-President Rupiah Banda

Mr Mbeki called for a minute's silence at a ceremony for those killed in a recent wave of attacks on foreigners in South Africa.

The South African ministry of foreign affairs later issued a clarification, saying Mr Mbeki regretted the "misunderstanding", and wishing Mr Mwanawasa a speedy recovery.

'Serious matter'

"It's extremely unfortunate," said Mr Mulongoti. "It's malice."

"We expect people to be sensitive to issues like that, because the death of the president of a republic is a serious matter, and in so doing they've caused a lot of panic and damage in the minds of the Zambian people," he said.

Zambian officials were upbeat about Mr Mwanawasa's condition.

"The doctors attending to (Mr Mwanawasa) are happy with progress he has made so far and his condition remains stable," Mr Banda said in a statement.

"He has continued to receive treatment for hypertension in the intensive care unit and there are no new developments," he said.

Mr Mwanawasa won a second term in 2006, having campaigned on his economic record which has won him acclaim from Western donors.

His health has always been an issue during his presidency. In April 2006 he suffered a minor stroke four months before general elections.

Mr Mwanawasa has been one of the strongest African critics of Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe won a disputed run-off election last week.

He was taken to hospital during an African Union summit in Egypt that was discussing the Zimbabwean crisis.