PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki expressed sorrow at the death on Thursday of Tunisia’s first president Habib Bourguiba and praised his efforts for the development of Africa. Bourguiba, Tunisia’s first president after independence from France in 1956, died on Thursday after a long illness. He was 96. Africa “feels greatly indebted to the efforts of leaders such as Bourguiba who through their unflinching sacrifices have created a climate conducive for an African Renaissance to take root in our continent,” Mbeki said in a statement. “We owe it to leaders such as Bourguiba to ensure we do not falter on our irreversible march towards the renewal of our continent,” he said.