As Zambia gives Africa its first white president since the end of Apartheid, the country with just 40,000 whites and over 14 million blacks sets a model for peaceful coexistence in a continent that struggles with ethno-religious differences.
Today the Zambian government announced the passing of the country’s President Michael Sata, but the mourning of his death threatens to be overshadowed by the news of his replacement- Guy Scott, a Zambian of Scottish heritage who becomes the first white African President since the end of Apartheid 20 years ago.
However, Scott’s office is in acting capacity, to last for 90 days, after which a by-election will be held. His ability to contest or win that election is however an ongoing debate.
Nevertheless, Scott’s assumption to the office, accompanied by a near public disinterestedness in his race in the Southern African country with only 40,000 whites compared to over 14 million blacks, serves as a lesson to other African countries where ethno-religious difference continue to dominate political discussions.
The son of Alec Scott, a British immigrant to Zambia who was a prominent voice against British colonialism, Guy followed his father’s steps into Zambian politics. He has gone on to play many significant roles in Zambia especially as Agricultural minister in the early 1990s where he was lauded for successfully steering the country through what would have been an excruciating drought season.
He, together with the late Sata, has also been praised for how they have led the country since assuming the presidency in 2011 with Zambia’s economy impressively growing at about 6 percent a year. Such lack of racial sentiments is hardly imaginable African countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa, countries where racial tensions still exist between the white minority and black majority.
Zambia’s peaceful coexistence also makes mockery of the ethno-religious intolerance and conflicts in countries like South-Sudan, Central African Republic, Somalia, Egypt, etc., who are actually made up of the same race. Nigeria also shares in that shame, with even its most infinitesimal political positions judged mainly through the lens of the religion and region of the aspirant.
Zambia’s attention to socio-economic strategy than sentiments have paid off big time with the country’s economy among the best performing in the world. Its total absence of socio-political violence has seen investor confidence boom as have its economic reforms that led to World Bank to in 2010, name it among one of the world’s fastest economically reformed countries.
Still Work To Be Done In Zambia
This is not to say that the country does not still face many economic challenges, corruption and government bureaucratic red tapes are still huge giant stumbling blocks Zambia. About 68 percent of Zambians live below the recognised national poverty line, with rural poverty rates standing at about 78 percent and urban rates of 53 percent. Zambia ranked 93rd out of 144 countries on the 2014 Global Competitiveness Index, which looks at factors that affect economic growth. Social indicators continue to decline, particularly in measurements of life expectancy at birth (about 40.9 years) and maternal mortality (830 per 100,000 pregnancies). The country’s rate of economic growth albeit very high is also struggling cannot support rapid population growth or the strain which HIV/AIDS-related issues place on the economy.
However, the fact that Zambia’s political stakeholders are more concerned with focusing these issues rather than playing the race card, like many African countries do, is not only impressive but also needs to be imitated across the continent.
…And HUGE Questions Marks Remain On Guy Scott’s Presidency
Just as the peaceful racial coexistence does not mean uhuru for Zambia, the Acting Presidency of Guy Scott is also still plagued by both legal, political and physical question marks. He actually may only last 90 days in office.
Acting President Guy Scott has a constitutional clause that may prevent him from becoming full president. The clause, located in Article 34(3) (b) of Zambia’s constitution, states that a person shall be qualified to be a candidate for election as President if, “both his parents are Zambians by birth or descent”. A section of Zambians see this as disqualifying Scott giving that neither of his parents- both from Scotland- were born in Zambia.
That analogy is however disputed by many others who say that by the fact that he is vice president, the constitution mandates him to assume power if the president is incapacitated. They also point to the fact that Scott’s parents immigrated to Zambia before the country’s independence from Britain in 1964 meaning that the law can only begin to count from independence.
This constitutional dispute and the attendant confusion led Sata to announce minister of Defence and Judiciary Edgar Lungu as acting President when he left for treatment in the UK. Scott, a campaigner for the removal of that clause, remained calm with Sata’s pronouncement especially as he stood aside and watched Lungu preside over the country’s 50 years anniversary last week.
But Scott’s full push for the presidency was back in play following the confirmation of Sata’s death, and seems to have paid off with the presidency being handed over to him today. But in 90 days time he must conduct a by-election, and there is no certainty of a political or legal backing for his victory, at least not yet.
Aside the political and legal confrontation to the realization of his presidency, his age and health has also been called into question.
On the ascendancy of Scott to the presidency, popular Zambian online media Zambian Watchdog ran the headline Another Sick, Old Man Takes Over As President. The 70 year old former anti-racism activist has had to severally refute reports that he suffers from Parkinson disease. Also, given the struggles of Michael Sata, contributed, at least partially, by his advanced age of 77, Zambians are getting scared of Scott’s age. Some political commentators in the country are of the view that Zambia needs a stable leadership to drive its socio-economic growth, and aged political leaders often needing medical care does not guarantee that.
But, regardless of the motley obstacles plaguing Scott’s route to a full presidency, his legacy has won him an admiration and followership that cuts across race and political affiliation which may see him ride over that legal dispute, the same way former president Frederick Chiluba did. Even if his presidency lasts just 90 days, its lesson to other African countries to shun tribalism and focus on tapping the benefits of diversity, will live on.
