Opinion / Blogs
MDC-T should 'be scared, very scared' of Sata's victory in Zambia
27 Sep 2011 at 06:10hrs | Views
A VERY good friend of mine in the MDC-T national executive called me last Friday morning, sounding a bit worried.
"Munya, Zanu-PF has won in Zambia." I asked him what he meant, and he responded: "Are you not aware that Sata has won the presidential election there?" I burst into uncontrollable laughter, but this good friend of mine thought this wasn't a laughing matter.
Well, Zanu-PF did not contest the presidential election in Zambia and so there was no way it could emerge winner, but this good friend of mine had made his point. The MDC should not only be worried about Michael Chilufya Sata's victory in the Zambian presidential election; it should be scared, very scared, actually.
On August 18 2007, I spent about three hours with the man who is now Zambia's new President, Sata, and during those few hours, the man they fondly call "King Cobra" in Zambia was spitting venom against the MDC in general and against Mr Morgan Tsvangirai in particular. Indeed, my MDC-T friend had reason to be very worried.
At that time, Sata enjoyed his smoking and I am sure he still enjoys puffing the addictive smoke into the air.
So as I was interviewing him at his modest offices at Farmers' House along the somewhat dusty Cairo Road in Lusaka, he was enjoying his cigarettes so much that at times he would be buried behind the thick smoke. His slightly red eyes made him look like a "king cobra" ready to strike.
Farmers' House building is the headquarters of Sata's party, the Patriotic Front, and throughout the interview, several party members thronged their leader's office. Like a true man of the people, Sata seemed to have time for everyone, including some down-trodden supporters from that country's rural areas.
He had no bodyguards and he drove around on his own despite causing the government sleepless nights at that time. In fact, Sata was so humble that if I had not seen him on television and in newspapers,
I would have just dismissed him as some tired old man who liked looking smart.
"So you came all the way from Harare to interview me? Am I that important? Remember, I am just an opposition leader," he said.
I was in Lusaka to cover the 27th Sadc Summit, but before I could say anything, Sata changed the subject.
"Do you know your President is a good friend of mine from a long time ago? That man (President) Mugabe is a blessing to your country.
"Do you know that after independence, your President could have just kept quiet and enjoyed his age by building himself mansions in Paris and in Cape Town but he has decided to fight for the poor? Honestly speaking, President Mugabe has not enjoyed the fruits of your country's independence and it's a pity that some people in your country don't realise this.
"The accumulation of material wealth has never been a preoccupation for President Mugabe. He puts the people first in whatever he does."
Sata was the leader of the opposition then, but one could not put him in the same class with our dear Morgan. At that time, Sata was 70 years old, but his wisdom and composure told the story of a veteran politician who was not in politics by chance. Sata was not in politics as someone's project.
He was in politics as a product of the people, no wonder why his grasp of grassroots politics was a marvel to behold.
Sata started his political career with the United National Independence Party (Unip) in 1963 after working as a policeman and trade unionist. He worked very closely with Zambia's founding leader, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, during Unip's 27-year rule.
He became governor of Lusaka in 1985 and made a name for himself by working hard to repair that city's rundown infrastructure and was hailed as a "man of action".
He left UNIP to join Frederick Chiluba's Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), which defeated Dr Kaunda in the 1991 election.
He served as Minister of Local Government and was briefly appointed to the health portfolio. After Mr Chiluba nominated Mr Levy Mwanawasa as his successor, Sata left the MMD in protest to form the Patriotic Front.
Despite being in opposition, Sata was not a favourite of the West and its media because he refused to dance to the tune of the imperialists.
The British Broadcasting Corporation in December 2001 described Sata as "nothing but a thug", but during my interview with him, the likeable "King Cobra" clearly showed that he wasn't losing sleep over the attacks from the Western media who accused him of always defending Zimbabwe.
"I have never received anything from Zimbabwe and I don't need anything from Zimbabwe. I value your freedom and the future of your country and that's why all the negative publicity against your country has not swayed my thinking. My party has been subjected to the same negative publicity and I have gone through some of the experiences that your President has gone through and I know the tricks of Western governments . . .
"The fight in Zimbabwe is our fight. President Mugabe's fight is Michael Sata's fight," he said.
Turning to the MDC, he said: "If the MDC in your country had looked at the critical areas to attack Zanu-PF, they would have found some, but now they are ineffective because they are working against the poor by opposing the land reform. If they had supported the land reform exercise, the people would have supported them.
"Yes, there may have been mistakes in implementing the programme, but that doesn't warrant a black person to ask Europeans to recolonise the country or call for sanctions. All countries in Africa have to address the land issue and we can see that even South Africa is trying to solve the issue through the Empowerment Bill.
"Morgan Tsvangirai should not fight President Mugabe on behalf of the imperialists. The people will not respect him. Even the civic society should not pinpoint the so-called bad governance as cited by the West. They should make criticism that improves the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe."
When I asked him whether he had met Mr Tsvangirai, he responded: "Yes, I met him once in South Africa and I told him what I am telling you right now. If I am to meet him today, I will tell him the same thing.
He missed the point and should change his way.
"When I told him this in South Africa, he walked away. This is what happens when the truth hits you."
Of the financial challenges, he said his party would not accept "dirty money, adding: "My party is funded by its supporters and I know some opposition leaders in Africa find it hard to believe this. We don't live a lavish life. We live within our means, and that way we don't go globetrotting hunting for foreign money.
"You see, when you get money from these outsiders, they determine your policies and your politics. They make you dance to their tune. It's the same with funds that come from the IMF and the World Bank, they come with conditionalities.
"It is precisely because Zanu-PF is not owned and run by the West that President Mugabe was able to embark on the land reform programme. That programme was naturally very unpopular with the West because it threatened their interests, but President Mugabe went ahead and redistributed the land.
"Are you people aware that your President saved your country from a bloody revolution? The issue of land has always created revolutions and if President Mugabe had not done that, the Europeans would have continued plundering your resources while the majority of the people suffer. That was bound to create a bloody revolution."
Yes, the opposition won in the presidential election in Zambia, but one can't compare Sata's PF to Mr Tsvangirai's MDC-T. One can't compare Sata to Mr Tsvangirai.
Zambia's PF is a home-grown political party while the MDC is a Western project aimed at reversing the gains of independence in Zimbabwe.
Yes, Mr Rupiah Banda accepted defeat after garnering 961 796 votes against Sata's 1 150 045 votes because this was an election that was conducted without outsider interference. It was an election with no sponsored NGOs, with no sanctions and with no dirty funds.
Of course, now that Sata is in power, he may do things differently and he may say things in a different way, but the "King Cobra" I met on August 18 2007 was a true nationalist and, such nationalists, by their nature, don't change.
With all due respect, Zambia's MMD was the equivalent of Zimbabwe's MDC because they are both Western projects and Sata's victory could be the return of nationalist politics in Zambia. In fact, the joke around town is that Unip is back through Sata. The MMD project has failed in Zambia.
As we concluded the interview, Sata declared boldly: "We are comrades in the struggle. The struggle continues and we shall win this struggle."
The Sata I sat with for about three hours won't disappoint as the President of Zambia.
Twamusengela ba Comrade Sata. Inkondo ichili iletwalilila. Lesa amutangilile! (Welcome Sata The struggle continues. May the Lord guide you.
"Munya, Zanu-PF has won in Zambia." I asked him what he meant, and he responded: "Are you not aware that Sata has won the presidential election there?" I burst into uncontrollable laughter, but this good friend of mine thought this wasn't a laughing matter.
Well, Zanu-PF did not contest the presidential election in Zambia and so there was no way it could emerge winner, but this good friend of mine had made his point. The MDC should not only be worried about Michael Chilufya Sata's victory in the Zambian presidential election; it should be scared, very scared, actually.
On August 18 2007, I spent about three hours with the man who is now Zambia's new President, Sata, and during those few hours, the man they fondly call "King Cobra" in Zambia was spitting venom against the MDC in general and against Mr Morgan Tsvangirai in particular. Indeed, my MDC-T friend had reason to be very worried.
At that time, Sata enjoyed his smoking and I am sure he still enjoys puffing the addictive smoke into the air.
So as I was interviewing him at his modest offices at Farmers' House along the somewhat dusty Cairo Road in Lusaka, he was enjoying his cigarettes so much that at times he would be buried behind the thick smoke. His slightly red eyes made him look like a "king cobra" ready to strike.
Farmers' House building is the headquarters of Sata's party, the Patriotic Front, and throughout the interview, several party members thronged their leader's office. Like a true man of the people, Sata seemed to have time for everyone, including some down-trodden supporters from that country's rural areas.
He had no bodyguards and he drove around on his own despite causing the government sleepless nights at that time. In fact, Sata was so humble that if I had not seen him on television and in newspapers,
I would have just dismissed him as some tired old man who liked looking smart.
"So you came all the way from Harare to interview me? Am I that important? Remember, I am just an opposition leader," he said.
I was in Lusaka to cover the 27th Sadc Summit, but before I could say anything, Sata changed the subject.
"Do you know your President is a good friend of mine from a long time ago? That man (President) Mugabe is a blessing to your country.
"Do you know that after independence, your President could have just kept quiet and enjoyed his age by building himself mansions in Paris and in Cape Town but he has decided to fight for the poor? Honestly speaking, President Mugabe has not enjoyed the fruits of your country's independence and it's a pity that some people in your country don't realise this.
"The accumulation of material wealth has never been a preoccupation for President Mugabe. He puts the people first in whatever he does."
Sata was the leader of the opposition then, but one could not put him in the same class with our dear Morgan. At that time, Sata was 70 years old, but his wisdom and composure told the story of a veteran politician who was not in politics by chance. Sata was not in politics as someone's project.
He was in politics as a product of the people, no wonder why his grasp of grassroots politics was a marvel to behold.
Sata started his political career with the United National Independence Party (Unip) in 1963 after working as a policeman and trade unionist. He worked very closely with Zambia's founding leader, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, during Unip's 27-year rule.
He became governor of Lusaka in 1985 and made a name for himself by working hard to repair that city's rundown infrastructure and was hailed as a "man of action".
He left UNIP to join Frederick Chiluba's Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), which defeated Dr Kaunda in the 1991 election.
He served as Minister of Local Government and was briefly appointed to the health portfolio. After Mr Chiluba nominated Mr Levy Mwanawasa as his successor, Sata left the MMD in protest to form the Patriotic Front.
The British Broadcasting Corporation in December 2001 described Sata as "nothing but a thug", but during my interview with him, the likeable "King Cobra" clearly showed that he wasn't losing sleep over the attacks from the Western media who accused him of always defending Zimbabwe.
"I have never received anything from Zimbabwe and I don't need anything from Zimbabwe. I value your freedom and the future of your country and that's why all the negative publicity against your country has not swayed my thinking. My party has been subjected to the same negative publicity and I have gone through some of the experiences that your President has gone through and I know the tricks of Western governments . . .
"The fight in Zimbabwe is our fight. President Mugabe's fight is Michael Sata's fight," he said.
Turning to the MDC, he said: "If the MDC in your country had looked at the critical areas to attack Zanu-PF, they would have found some, but now they are ineffective because they are working against the poor by opposing the land reform. If they had supported the land reform exercise, the people would have supported them.
"Yes, there may have been mistakes in implementing the programme, but that doesn't warrant a black person to ask Europeans to recolonise the country or call for sanctions. All countries in Africa have to address the land issue and we can see that even South Africa is trying to solve the issue through the Empowerment Bill.
"Morgan Tsvangirai should not fight President Mugabe on behalf of the imperialists. The people will not respect him. Even the civic society should not pinpoint the so-called bad governance as cited by the West. They should make criticism that improves the welfare of the people of Zimbabwe."
When I asked him whether he had met Mr Tsvangirai, he responded: "Yes, I met him once in South Africa and I told him what I am telling you right now. If I am to meet him today, I will tell him the same thing.
He missed the point and should change his way.
"When I told him this in South Africa, he walked away. This is what happens when the truth hits you."
Of the financial challenges, he said his party would not accept "dirty money, adding: "My party is funded by its supporters and I know some opposition leaders in Africa find it hard to believe this. We don't live a lavish life. We live within our means, and that way we don't go globetrotting hunting for foreign money.
"You see, when you get money from these outsiders, they determine your policies and your politics. They make you dance to their tune. It's the same with funds that come from the IMF and the World Bank, they come with conditionalities.
"It is precisely because Zanu-PF is not owned and run by the West that President Mugabe was able to embark on the land reform programme. That programme was naturally very unpopular with the West because it threatened their interests, but President Mugabe went ahead and redistributed the land.
"Are you people aware that your President saved your country from a bloody revolution? The issue of land has always created revolutions and if President Mugabe had not done that, the Europeans would have continued plundering your resources while the majority of the people suffer. That was bound to create a bloody revolution."
Yes, the opposition won in the presidential election in Zambia, but one can't compare Sata's PF to Mr Tsvangirai's MDC-T. One can't compare Sata to Mr Tsvangirai.
Zambia's PF is a home-grown political party while the MDC is a Western project aimed at reversing the gains of independence in Zimbabwe.
Yes, Mr Rupiah Banda accepted defeat after garnering 961 796 votes against Sata's 1 150 045 votes because this was an election that was conducted without outsider interference. It was an election with no sponsored NGOs, with no sanctions and with no dirty funds.
Of course, now that Sata is in power, he may do things differently and he may say things in a different way, but the "King Cobra" I met on August 18 2007 was a true nationalist and, such nationalists, by their nature, don't change.
With all due respect, Zambia's MMD was the equivalent of Zimbabwe's MDC because they are both Western projects and Sata's victory could be the return of nationalist politics in Zambia. In fact, the joke around town is that Unip is back through Sata. The MMD project has failed in Zambia.
As we concluded the interview, Sata declared boldly: "We are comrades in the struggle. The struggle continues and we shall win this struggle."
The Sata I sat with for about three hours won't disappoint as the President of Zambia.
Twamusengela ba Comrade Sata. Inkondo ichili iletwalilila. Lesa amutangilile! (Welcome Sata The struggle continues. May the Lord guide you.
Source - The Sunday Mail
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