Skip to main content

Where is Zambia’s President?

ZambiaSata
Zambia's President Michael Chilufya Sata addresses the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York, September 24, 2013.
Updated | A mystery no-show at the United Nations raises speculations about the state of health of Zambia’s President, Michael Sata, who last week emphatically told the Lusaka parliament, “I am not dead.”

The Associated Press reported Friday that the 77-year old president was treated at his hotel by doctors. A spokesperson for the New York Police Department confirmed Friday morning that Sata was treated at his hotel by U.S. State Department doctors and remained there, contradicting earlier reports of his death, including a report by Newsweek, credited to a source who has since said his statement was not definitive. A spokesman at the Zambian mission declined comment when several reporters inquired about Sata’s health.
On Friday, Zambian vice president Guy Scott told Parliament that the president's health was normal and denied reports that he was unwell, according to local media.
Newsweek Magazine is Back In Print
The speculations started swirling Wednesday night, when Sata failed to show up for his scheduled address at the General Assembly, which this week conducts its annual debate, an opportunity for the U.N.’s 193 members to showcase their policies to the world. Sata was slated to follow Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, Wednesday night.
The U.N. moderator then received a notice, and after a short hesitation announced, instead, that the next speaker, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron, would address the council. No alternative time for Sata’s address was announced.
In yet another twist in the mystery, a provisional list of speakers that was issued by the UN Friday slated Zambia's foreign minister, Harry Kalaba, to address the general assembly as the last speaker Friday night. He would speak instead of the president, who was originally scheduled to speak on Wednesday.
According to All Africa, a website specializing in reporting from the continent, Sata traveled to New York accompanied by six doctors as part of his entourage of 38 people. The report cited an unnamed source who said that the reason the president came to New York ahead of the launch of the Wednesday debate was to visit the Sloane Kettering Cancer Center.
Wires agencies reported last Friday that Sata addressed parliament after failing for a long time to appear in public, raising speculation about the state of his health. His wife, Christine kept him going, Sata told Parliament, adding, “I am not dead.”
But rather than finishing his address, he said after a while, “I thank you for listening and I am leaving the whole speech to the Speaker.”
Corrections Appended: An earlier version of this story quoting "a well-placed source at the U.N." who said that the Zambian president, Michael Sata, had died in his New York hotel room was in error. The source has since said his statement was not definitive. According to the New York Police Department on Friday morning, Mr Sata is being treated by doctors at his New York hotel . Newsweek regrets the error.
An earlier version of this article also incorrectly described a wire story on a South African website as appearing on a Zambian website and referenced an Associated Press report that Zambian President Michael Sata was treated at his hotel by State Department doctors before being taken to the hospital.  The current version reflects an update by the Associated Press that he was treated in his hotel and remained there.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Four Armed Robbery Suspects Killed In Shootout With Police In Songwe

  “This is Vwawa Bus Stand, where the incident occurred in which armed robbers shot and killed a security guard before fleeing with various items.” Songwe. Four suspected armed robbers have been shot dead following a confrontation with police in Songwe Region after allegedly being involved in a violent raid on a mobile phone and financial services shop in Vwawa town, Mbozi District, in which a security guard was killed. According to a statement issued today, December 30, 2025, by the Songwe Regional Police Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP) Augustino Senga, the incident occurred at around 3:30 a.m. The suspects reportedly stormed the shop, owned by businessman Gabriel Msemwa, at the Vwawa main bus stand, killed the guard, William Mwampashi (45), and fled with assorted items. The deceased suspects have been identified as Bruce Mwasenga, Eliuta Mapunda, Abdul Chiba, and Justine, known by a single name. SACP Senga said police immediately launched intensive, inte...
Post a Comment
Read more

JAB Yawasogeza Huduma Waandishi Iringa, Yaomba Ushirikiano Kudhibiti Waandishi Wasioidhinishwa

Iringa. Bodi ya Ithibati ya Waandishi wa Habari (JAB) imeendelea na jitihada za kusogeza huduma zake kwa waandishi wa habari nchini, safari hii ikifika katika Klabu ya Waandishi wa Habari Iringa (Iringa Press Club – IPC), ikiwa ni sehemu ya mkakati wa kuboresha tasnia ya habari na kulinda taaluma ya uandishi wa habari. Akizungumza wakati wa kikao na waandishi wa habari mkoani Iringa, Kaimu Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Bodi ya Ithibati ya Waandishi wa Habari (JAB), Wakili Patrick Kipangula, amesema lengo la ziara hiyo ni kutoa elimu kuhusu majukumu ya bodi, mchakato wa ithibati pamoja na kusikiliza changamoto zinazowakabili waandishi wa habari ngazi ya mikoa. Wakili Kipangula amesema bado kuna changamoto ya uwepo wa watu wanaojihusisha na shughuli za uandishi wa habari bila kuwa na ithibati halali, hali inayochafua tasnia na kuhatarisha maadili ya kazi hiyo nyeti. “Tunawaomba waandishi wa habari kushirikiana na Bodi kwa kuwafichua watu wanaojitambulisha kama waandishi bila kuwa na ithiba...
Post a Comment
Read more

MUCE IMPLEMENTS SH18.6 BILLION PROJECT IN HONOUR OF FATHER OF THE NATION’S VISION

Iringa. As Tanzania marks 26 years since the passing of the Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere — a passionate advocate for education — Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE), a constituent college of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), continues to successfully implement the Higher Education for Economic Transformation (HEET) Project worth over Sh18.6 billion. Speaking to journalists in Iringa, MUCE Principal Prof Method Samwel Semiono said the project, implemented by the government through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, aims to reform the higher education system so it can directly contribute to the country’s economic transformation. “The five-year project (2021/2022–2025/2026) is funded by the World Bank and focuses on curriculum improvement, infrastructure development, human resource capacity building, inclusive education and gender equality, as well as promoting the use of ICT and digital learning,” explained Prof Semiono. He no...
Post a Comment
Read more