FORMER Zambia National Farmers Union president Evelyn Nguleka has died at 47 years old after a short illness at the University Teaching Hospital.

Family sources say they suspect she died of depression owing to the issues which led to her resignation from ZNFU and the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO).

“She just passed away a few minutes ago and we all suspect that it could have been depression because of all this confusion she found herself in. She was only admitted on Wednesday but today she has died. It is really shocking,” said the family source.

Dr Nguleka, a Veterinary Doctor by profession, became ZNFU’s first female president in October 2013.

However, she resigned in September, 2016 after being arrested by the Drug Enforcement Commission together with the union’s executive director Ndambo Ndambo on money laundering charges.

This was after audits conducted by EMM Corporate Partners and upheld by KPMG revealed that there had been massive and systematic theft at the farmer’s body.

Dr Nguleka had pleaded not guilty to the charges and trial was set to commence soon.