LUSAKA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Former Zambian Vice-President Lupando Mwape has died in South Africa where he was evacuated for specialized treatment, state media reported on Monday. He was 68.

Mwape, who served under late President Levy Mwanawasa from 2004 to 2006, died in the early hours of Monday in a Johannesburg hospital following his evacuation by the government last week, according to the Zambia Daily Mail.

The former vice-president was hospitalized at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, the country's capital, before his evacuation.

Vernon Mwaanga, Zambia's veteran politician and a former diplomat, expressed sadness over the death of Mwape.

"He was a decent man who served with humility and unrivaled integrity. A deeply religious man who respected all people regardless of their status in society," Mwaanga said in a statement.