The 74-year old politician who once worked as a platform sweeper at London's Victoria station in Britain, was sworn in as Zambia’s new head of state on Friday September 23 after an upset poll victory that ushered in a smooth handover of power in Africa’s largest copper producer.
Sata's campaign focused on the theme of the equitable redistribution of the country’s huge copper wealth which according to him, had not benefitted the country’s majority. Nicknamed "King Cobra" because of his sharp tongue, Sata reassured foreign mining firms that their investments would be safe, but warned that they needed to improve conditions for their Zambian workforce. "Foreign investment is important to Zambia and we will continue to work with foreign investors who are welcome in the country ... but they need to adhere to the labour laws," Sata said after his upset victory over former leader Rupiah Banda.
Zambians celebrated from the predawn hours of Friday after Sata was declared the winner and painted the capital in the green and white colours of his Patriotic Front Party, PFP. "We should not allow violence to separate us. The gap between the rich and the poor is growing wider and we need to address that. I stand by the promise to change Zambia within 90 days," Sata said, pledging to slash the size of government and tackle corruption.
In a continent where leaders are often reluctant to give up power, incumbent Rupiah Banda tearfully conceded defeat, saying the people had spoken. His Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) party has run Zambia since one-party rule ended in 1991. "Now is not the time for violence and retribution. Now is the time to unite and build tomorrow's Zambia together," he told a news conference.
Election monitors from the European Union and regional grouping SADC declared the vote free and fair although the process was marred by violence after protests broke out over the slow release of results. Chief Justice Ernest Sakala declared him the winner after he received 1,150,045 votes compared with Banda's 961,796 with 95.3 percent of constituencies counted.
Sata has enjoyed a long and varied career that included stints in motor vehicle assembly plants in Britain and as a porter with British Rail before becoming a grassroots political activist under first president, Kenneth Kaunda. He likes to keep a statue of a rearing snake on his desk as a reminder to enemies of his sharp tongue. "At long last, the will of the people has been respected. The people wanted change," said street vendor Peter Musonda.
