Zambia: Who is Michael Sata?

1. Sata was born around 1937 in Mpika, North Province, Zambia.


2. In the mid-1980s Sata became Govenor of Lusaka.

3.  In the 1990s as Local Government minister, Sata introduced the notorious public nuisance law that prohibited spitting, urinating and defecating in public.

4. In 2001, Sata left the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and, together with a Zambian of Scottish origin Guy Scott, formed a two-man party, the Patriotic Front (PF). Scott is now Zambia's Vice President.

5. Prior to the 2006 election Sata raused crowds with his anti-China rhetoric. At the time influential international investors threatened that they would pull funding if Sata was elected.

6. Over the years Sata built a firm support base comprised of the urban masses and constituents from his home Northern province. Although Sata has softened his anti-China stance, he still insists that foreign investors should not bring people from their country to take unskilled jobs and demands a good wage for Zambian workers.

6. By 2011 Sata had the (unoffocial) support of former President Kaunda and his sons - Panji, Waza, and Kaweche. Kaweche stood for election as an MP under the PF ticket.

7. Sata has earned his nickname 'King Cobra' for his biting tongue and non-nonsense 'Man of Action' image.

8. In his acceptance speech Sata said he was committed to fight corruption which he assigned as a major cause of poverty. He said, "Corruption has been a scourge in this country and there is a wide link between corruption and poverty."

9. Sata is a Catholic, is married to a Doctor and has eight children.