White acting president Guy Scott facing whispering campaign as Mr Sata’s Patriotic Front splits into factions ahead of elections in 90 days.
The body of Michael Sata, Zambia’s president who died last week in London, was returned to his home country on Saturday as splits within his ruling party grew over who will take power next.
Guy Scott, the white vice-president, stepped into the role of acting president for three months until emergency elections are be held and has been tipped by some as a possible candidate to run in the polls because of his closeness to the popular former leader.
But he is facing questions about his suitability even to act as interim leader by those who say he is barred from high office because his parents were not born in Zambia.
Cambridge-educated Mr Scott, who was reported to have rung military chiefs after Mr Sata’s death to ask for their support, says he has the backing of the Attorney General as well as cabinet.
Despite being the first democratic white leader in mainland Africa, he has dismissed the interest in his colour, telling local journalists: “I may be white on the outside, but my blood is black.”
In a reflection of the tensions in the former British protectorate, security has been stepped up around the acting president and military snipers have been stationed on the roof of the public broadcaster, ostensibly to ward off a coup.
Mr Scott was chosen by Zambia’s cabinet to take over as acting president from Edgar Lungu, the Defence Minister, after Mr Sata died.
Mr Lungu told the Telegraph that he reluctantly agreed to hand over the reins of power to avoid bloodshed. But he added that just as the constitution stipulated that the vice-president should take charge if the president died, it also said that the parents of the Zambian president should be born in the country.
“I love this country so much, just like President Sata did, that I wouldn’t risk the peace that we enjoy,” he said. “If power is in the wrong hands, so be it – it’s only 90 days after all.
“I chose the interests of the Zambian people – their safety and peace and good order. I gave it away.
“We only have one unified commander – that’s the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Suppose I had my own power centre and the forces put their weight behind me and the other guy didn’t have it, what would have happened? Blood.”
Another senior official from Mr Sata and Scott’s Patriotic Front party, who did not wish to be named, said: “Scott doesn’t really have the support of the party to be acting president. The vice-president has never acted as president before because he is not eligible.”
Meanwhile as the plane carrying Mr Sata’s body touched down on Zambian soil and his coffin was paraded along the red carpet towards his waiting convoy, hundreds of members of the Patriotic Front’s youth wing chanted slogans calling for the late president’s son Mulenga to take over.
Mulenga Sata, the current mayor of Lusaka, said he was “ready” to lead, adding: “You have heard my name being suggested left and right. Why not? I was mentored in the School of Sata.”
The 47-year-old former engineer said it was not his father’s “wish” that Mr Scott step into his shoes, since he picked Mr Lungu to be acting president.
“What we want is that he oversees the process in a smooth and transparent manner,” he said. “I do not envy him the task. He must navigate it carefully because emotions are high.
“If there’s an apparent lack of transparency or maneuvering by certain cliques – that will create chaos.”
He conceded that there was however little time for candidates to campaign and the PF needed to select its own candidate for elections that they are almost certain to win.
“I am in the service of the people – we will look at what the people want, the best fit,” he said.
He took a swipe at the age of some of his rivals, including 70-year-old Mr Scott, pointing out that Zambia has now lost two presidents in office, with Levy Mwanawasa suffering a fatal stroke in 2008.
“Seventy per cent of voters in Zambia are under the age of 40 I think whichever candidate is picked should be relevant to the people,” he said.
“I think the late president was the last of the old presidents. I expect the next candidate will be younger.”
Mr Sata died at the King Edward VII Hospital in Regent’s Park, London on Tuesday night. His family were visited by the Duke of Gloucester, the Queen’s cousin, before they left and his body was given an official send-off from Heathrow Airport by the Queen’s Colour Squadron of the RAF.
“Zambia has shown what it’s capable of through the events of 2008 and I feel sure that its people will be able to relive that experience,” said James Thornton, UK High Commissioner.
“This is a very sad and difficult time for Zambians but the country has shown that through democratic processes, it can overcome such difficulties.”
Mr Sata’s body touched down on Zambian soil shortly after 10am local time. His wife Christine Kaseba sobbed as she was led down the stairs to where Mr Scott waited at the bottom.
She was also greeted by Zambia’s 90-year-old independence leader Kenneth Kaunda, and the pair sat on the red carpet in a local tradition to indicate they were “home