Micheal Chilufya Sata: The Untold Stories

By George Chellah
Here are some of the seemingly small things about President Michael Chilufya Sata that gave away the man’s greatness as a leader, and had a great impact on me personally:
1. During political mobilization and campaigns both in opposition and ruling party days, President Sata never used to drink mineral water arguing that “…Ba George, teti tulenwa mineral water elyo abena Zambia balenwa ifiko (We can’t be drinking mineral water when many Zambians have no access to clean water)”.
2. For a long time, President Sata wore a torn pair of shoes and continued wearing it and traveling the world in it, meeting global leaders in his capacity as Head of State, without any qualms about. It was a long drawn battle for his family and myself as an aide, to convince him to accept a second pair. I remember he would always argue that “…Ba George, why do I need many pairs of shoes when I only have two feet.”
3. Throughout his presidency, President Sata’s laundry for his suits was paid from his pocket, insisting that “… Ba George, I have always paid for my laundry right from the first day I wore a suit. So why must the Zambian taxpayer incur more costs, as if feeding and sustaining me by virtue of the office I hold is not enough?”
4. President Sata allowed common men and women (beggars, villagers, vendors, the aged, the sick and people afflicted with all sorts of problems and situations) to have audience with him right inside the presidential office. There was such a group of 50 – 60 people every week, and he would justify this act as follows: “Ba George, bantu abapina ngaba abalenga ati imwe naine tubepanotuli nokumoneka abachindama nga fino. Tatufwile kubalaba iyo (Its people such as these who favoured us with the privilege of being where we are today by voting for us, so we have an obligation to listen to each and everyone of them… we must listen and attend to their cries.”
I never doubted one single moment that President Sata was indeed, a man of the people. He taught me genuine love in practical terms through his actions. It is only after he is gone that many have come to realize that a saint lived among us. For those that may want to know, the best definition of a saint in my opinion is one by Nelson Mandela who said, “…a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying”.