Lungu's Dismissal Sparks Rebellion in Zambia's Capital
Following the dismissal of Edgar Lungu as chief of the ruling party, protesters took to the streets to express anger at acting president Guy Scott.
04 Nov 2014 12:44 Sapa
Police and demonstrators clashed early on Tuesday in protests against Zambia’s acting president, Guy Scott, who fired the ruling party’s general secretary Edgar Lungu, following the death last week of President Michael Sata.
After the protests, Scott announced he was cancelling Lungu’s sacking.
The riots started on Monday night in several places in the Zambian capital of Lusaka, including the University of Zambia and a government building designated as a place for Sata’s mourners to gather, according to witnesses.
Protesters had descended on the building, Belvedere Lodge, with stones, machetes and other weapons, and police fired tear gas into the venue to clear demonstrators from the area.
The protesters were angry over the decision by Scott to dismiss Lungu.
Lungu, who was meant to remain as defence and justice minister, said his dismissal was illegal and accused Scott, who is of Scottish descent, of “insulting [their] culture”.
Under the Constitution, Zambia must hold a presidential election within 90 days of a president’s death. Former vice-president Scott has said he is not interested in running for president and is, in any case, barred from the office because his parents were not Zambian by birth or descent.
Lungu, who was acting president just before Sata died on October 28 in a London hospital, has been considered a possible presidential candidate from the ruling Patriotic Front party. Some commentators speculated that his dismissal reflected political manoeuvring among factions ahead of the presidential election.
Sata (77) died after a long illness. His body arrived in Lusaka on Saturday and was taken to a conference centre for public viewing until the burial on November 11. The conference centre has not been affected by the rioting, which ended early on Tuesday, though protesters warned they could return to the streets.
Zambian lawmaker Davies Mwila was initially picked by Scott to replace Lungu as general secretary of the ruling party. But Mwila turned down the appointment, saying “it is a taboo in our tradition to start politicking before burying the deceased”.
Another lawmaker, Nixon Chilangwa, has since accepted the appointment. Moses Siwali, spokesperson for the home affairs ministry, urged political groups to meet peacefully to resolve the situation. “We don’t want Zambia to go into turmoil,” he said.
Protester Mary Tembo said Scott was causing confusion. She urged him to “go to Scotland,” saying Zambians want to mourn their president in peace.
– Sapa
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| Demonstrators set fires protesting the country's first white president who took control as deputy president after the death of Michael Sata. |
04 Nov 2014 12:44 Sapa
Police and demonstrators clashed early on Tuesday in protests against Zambia’s acting president, Guy Scott, who fired the ruling party’s general secretary Edgar Lungu, following the death last week of President Michael Sata.
After the protests, Scott announced he was cancelling Lungu’s sacking.
The riots started on Monday night in several places in the Zambian capital of Lusaka, including the University of Zambia and a government building designated as a place for Sata’s mourners to gather, according to witnesses.
Protesters had descended on the building, Belvedere Lodge, with stones, machetes and other weapons, and police fired tear gas into the venue to clear demonstrators from the area.
The protesters were angry over the decision by Scott to dismiss Lungu.
Lungu, who was meant to remain as defence and justice minister, said his dismissal was illegal and accused Scott, who is of Scottish descent, of “insulting [their] culture”.
Under the Constitution, Zambia must hold a presidential election within 90 days of a president’s death. Former vice-president Scott has said he is not interested in running for president and is, in any case, barred from the office because his parents were not Zambian by birth or descent.
Lungu, who was acting president just before Sata died on October 28 in a London hospital, has been considered a possible presidential candidate from the ruling Patriotic Front party. Some commentators speculated that his dismissal reflected political manoeuvring among factions ahead of the presidential election.
Sata (77) died after a long illness. His body arrived in Lusaka on Saturday and was taken to a conference centre for public viewing until the burial on November 11. The conference centre has not been affected by the rioting, which ended early on Tuesday, though protesters warned they could return to the streets.
Zambian lawmaker Davies Mwila was initially picked by Scott to replace Lungu as general secretary of the ruling party. But Mwila turned down the appointment, saying “it is a taboo in our tradition to start politicking before burying the deceased”.
Another lawmaker, Nixon Chilangwa, has since accepted the appointment. Moses Siwali, spokesperson for the home affairs ministry, urged political groups to meet peacefully to resolve the situation. “We don’t want Zambia to go into turmoil,” he said.
Protester Mary Tembo said Scott was causing confusion. She urged him to “go to Scotland,” saying Zambians want to mourn their president in peace.
– Sapa
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