Michael Sata Not the Nation’s Good Example for a Leader

30 June 2011

editorial

Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata seems to have lost his way in the labyrinth of his own actions which have been at variance with acceptable social norms in Zambia.

It is not surprising that he has been variously described as a man who uses crude language unsuitable for a presidential candidate, or one who affords to shun a friend’s funeral, or indeed a man with demonstrable lack of respect for traditional leadership.

Mr Sata is trapped in his own missteps and many Zambians are right to say that he rues the day he made the baffling decision not to attend the funeral and burial of a man who bestowed honour on him by appointing him to key Cabinet positions.

Many people entreated the PF leader to attend former president Frederick Chiluba’s funeral because they understand how Mr Sata benefitted from the generosity and good judgement of the late head of State, which to a large extent, accounts for what the now outspoken opposition leader is today.

But not one to easily accept mistakes when he commits them, Mr Sata is desperate to win public sympathy and has engaged in some publicity stunt which, unluckily for him, has backfired even before it rolls out.

It is something of a catch-22 situation, and time of catch-up for him, but it still is hard to return people’s focus to some semblance of support that he enjoyed in some past election campaigns.

The ire Mr Sata has stirred among Ngoni traditionalists and the people of Zambia generally, by seeking to gain political capital out of a respected traditional leader who was unwell on a hospital bed, is understandable.

He pretended to be genuinely visiting Paramount Chief Mpezeni who was admitted to the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, but the motive seems to have been to show the world that he cares for our traditional leaders.

The picture showing the PF leader standing over Chief Mpezeni underlines the disrespect Mr Sata holds for our chiefs and for which he is well-known.

He has done it before when he was shown holding Paramount Chief Chitimukulu’s head when he visited him in hospital, and we wonder what he is trying to teach younger people who are supposed to be guided on the right ways to treat traditional leaders.

It is clear to many Zambians that Mr Sata has a lot of regrets over his unacceptable conduct to boycott Dr Chiluba’s funeral, but he should not use innocent chiefs as pawns in his cheap political games.

AllAfrica – All the Time