Ailing Zambian president rushed to india

THE confirmation from India on Sunday that President Michael Sata was in hospital there for a urological disorder unlocked what had been a growing puzzle.

The news unsettled many in Zambia and created doubts about the future of the administration barely six months after it assumed office.

The episode also turned out to be a public relations disaster for the government and left its credibility in virtual tatters.

For, even as confirmation of his hospitalisation was coming through, Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda was being quoted in the local media as saying that the president was in good health - which few believed from the manner of his departure. The Times of India, in Sunday story headlined "King Cobra lands in city for treatment", reported that the 75-year-old Sata had undergone a laser procedure at Samved Urology Hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat the previous day.

It quoted hospital sources as saying that the president had a medical problem involving his "prostrate or urinary bladder" and that he had been "suffering bleeding in the urine".

Sata had left Lusaka on March 22, a day after returning from a state visit to Botswana. His departure was announced as he left and no date for his return was indicated. Many saw the trip as abrupt and that touched off considerable speculation. But with a straight face, government officials maintained that it was merely a "private visit".

In fact Vice-President Guy Scott was on March 23 ruled out of order in the National Assembly for using the un-parliamentary word "nonsense" to describe the growing speculation around Sata's trip.

There were speculative reports immediately by the media that the "hasty" trip was necessitated by a rapidly deteriorating kidney condition for which specialist treatment was needed immediately.

But answering a ruling Patriotic Front (PF) backbencher who sought clarification on the matter due to the speculation, Scott maintained that the president was on a "planned private visit" and the rest was "nonsense". He said it wouldn't however be surprising if Sata took advantage of the visit to undergo a "medical check-up".

In a statement the same day, the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) said going by Scott's explanation the president was on holiday but the timing was incongruous.

"Instead of addressing the many challenges, the head of state has decided to go on holiday ... we demand that Mr Sata cancels his holiday and comes back . he is known to be a man of action and should be in action addressing the economic and social challenges ... as opposed to being on holiday barely six months after assuming office."

From the government, however, there was to be no admission that Sata had gone for treatment. There was some sensitivity to the matter because opponents had repeatedly said his health was in too poor a condition to run for the top job during the election campaign last September. He returned no convincing answer to that question except insisting that he was fine. After taking office, Sata was angered by media reports that he was frequenting a Lusaka clinic. He angrily said he was not dead and accused the UPND of spreading the rumours.

There is still no indication when Sata will return. "A battery of advanced tests will be carried out to decide the future course of medical action. He will be kept in hospital for a day or two under medical observation until a final call on his treatment is taken," the Times of India wrote.