Victoria station cleaner sweeps to victory as president of Zambia


A former London railway station worker has been elected as the next president of Zambia.

Michael Sata, a 74-year-old father of eight, used to sweep the platforms of Victoria station as an employee of British Rail.

Last night he was declared Zambia's new leader after beating President Rupiah Banda in a tight-run election marred by violence.

There were huge cheers from supporters as the national election commission announced Mr Sata won 1,150,045 votes to Mr Banda's 961,796, with 95.3 per cent of constituencies counted.

The Patriotic Front leader took 43 per cent of the votes in his fourth presidential bid. He lost by only two percentage points to Mr Banda, also 74, in 2008.

He consistently referred to his time in Britain working at Victoria, telling one interviewer: "I never got any complaints about my work. I want to sweep my country even cleaner than I swept the station."

Mr Sata, nicknamed King Cobra for his sharp tongue, won huge support among the urban poor on returning to Africa and starting his political career.

He first joined the Northern Rhodesia police force and, according to his website, was "the most senior African officer in the establishment".

When political change began to sweep the continent, Mr Sata - by then a trade unionist - joined the independence struggle in his country a year before its fruition.

He has campaigned as a pro-poor candidate in a nation where major foreign investment in rich copper deposits has brought few benefits for two thirds of the population, who have to live on less than two dollars a day.

He made his name campaigning against Chinese domination of the country's industry and the treatment of its workers.

President Banda's Movement for Multiparty Democracy had run Zambia for 20 years since the end of one-party rule in 1991.


http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23990211-victoria-station-cleaner-sweeps-to-victory-as-president-of-zambia.do

Congratulations to Mr Sata. This is a tribute to perseverence. Guy reminds you of Lula da Sylva in more ways than one. I'm keenly interested in how he handles the Chinese, as he made that a big issue during his campaign. He will soon learn the true meaning of globalisation and that the Chinese are a necessary evil around here.

Very interesting.

Is he educated?

Being a cleaner doesnt necessarily mean soomeone is an illiterate.

Zambia is a very law conscious nation.those folks respect their constitution.
meet any zambian and you will know what i mean.
that country has a very bright future.

congratulations to his excellency,president sata.
i remembet when that guy was a member of the then ruling party,MMD.he has the charms of barack obama and the fire of sarah palin.

Great news. An ideal inspiration for many despite his old age.