Zambia’s governing party faces rifts after Sata’s death

By African Bulletin on November 7, 2014

Zambia’s governing party, the Patriotic Front (PF), faces internal rifts following the death of its founder, President Michael Sata.

Serious cracks have emerged in the ruling party even before the 77-year-old leader is buried. Succession disputes have already emerged with potential contenders to replace Sata already positioning themselves.

Sata died on Oct. 28 at London’s King George VII Hospital where he had gone for medical check-ups.

The charismatic Zambian politician formed the party in 2001 and was deemed as the lifeblood of the party. Analysts often say: “PF was Sata and Sata was PF.”

His sudden death has left behind a possible succession dispute and whether the party will be able to emerge from this challenge is a matter of conjecture.

So far one camp has emerged which is supporting Sata’s son, Mulenga, to succeed him as leader of the party while another camp is backing former defense minister Geoffrey Mwamba.

The power disputes were evident on Nov. 1 when the remains of Sata arrived at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport. One group of party members was busy singing songs in support of Sata’s son while another group was busy eulogizing the former defense minister as a possible successor.

Sata’s son, who is also mayor of Lusaka, the Zambian capital, has not hidden his intention of going for the highest office in the land.

On Saturday, he told reporters at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport upon arrival from London with his father’s body that he does not see any reasons why he should not succeed his father.

“I have been in the school of Mr. Sata and I have been the servant of the people, so why not,” he told reporters when he was asked on the possibility of succeeding his father.

According to him, lack of transparency in the selection of a candidate to contest in the presidential election could result in chaos for the governing party.

Edgar Lungu, the party’s secretary-general and defense minister, has advised party members to avoid talking about who succeed Sata and concentrate on mourning the late leader with honor and dignity.

The defense minister, whom Sata left as acting president when he departed for London for medical check-ups, said it was not the right time for people to start talking about succession.

“We should reflect and put him to rest in dignity and thereafter we will probably look at the succession plan. I, for one, am not worried about who succeeds him but I’m more worried about his vision,” he told journalists at the Mulungushi International Conference Center.

“We all rallied behind him, he formed this party and we joined and so at the end of the day, we should ensure his vision lives on. We should choose the best person to carry his vision,” he added.

But Lungu was dismissed from his position as secretary-general of the governing party by acting leader Guy Scott late on Monday.

Scott said he will not allow indiscipline in the party and advised people with presidential ambitions to desist from factitious succession campaigns.

Then Guy Scott on Tuesday was forced to rescind his decision to fire the head of the governing party after the move faced a backlash from senior party members.

Brian Hapunda, the party’s director for media and publicity, said all party members aspiring to succeed Sata should wait until the former leader is buried.

Hapunda, who expressed concern that some people have already started campaigning, said people should exercise patience.

“Now is not time for politicking and we are hearing a lot of things that they have started campaigning. They should wait until we bury our president,” he said in a statement.

Following Sata’s death, the country is expected to hold a presidential election within 90 days, according to its constitution.

So far, interim leader Guy Scott is not eligible to stand because of a parentage clause in the constitution which demands that presidential candidates should have parents who were born in Zambia.

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