Today all eyes will be on Mkushi, where President Michael Sata is making his first public appearance in almost three months. Unlike the recent swearing-in ceremonies, they will not be able to hit the “mute button” when he speaks.
The public will be evaluating President Sata’s basic condition. Is he still fit for duty? Can he stand and walk on his own without assistance for an extended period of time? Does he appear weak or able? Is his mind still sharp, or have his thoughts become incoherent? How will his voice sound after supposedly undergoing surgery?
All of these perceptions will be important in terms of whether or not President Sata will be able to open parliament on the 19th of September – an event that he must officiate personally or step down from power.
Anyone familiar with the procedure regarding the official opening of Parliament knows too well that it is one of the most elaborate procedures that the Zambian Head of State and Commander-In-Chief of the armed forces has to undertake. It is a yearly event and all along the sitting President has attended in person.
This year the official opening of parliament will be the fourth since President Sata and the Patriotic Front (PF) ascended to power after the September 20, 2011 elections. The speculation over President Sata’s failing health has reached a fever pitch ever since the so called “working holiday” to Israel, which turned out to be a trip for medical attention for his various ailments which include throat and prostate cancer as well as heart and kidney dysfunctions. Employees inside State House have told Zambia Reports that President Sata has not spent more than 30 minutes working in his office since returning from that trip, meaning that Zambians have literally been left without a president – instead a very expensive VIP patient.
Since his return from Israel he has been shown a few times on national television, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) with the most recent being Monday September 1, 2014 when he was swearing-in two Supreme Court Judges and on Tuesday September 2, 2014 when he received credentials from the new ambassador from the Peoples’ Republic of China and also interacted with some school pupils from across the country hosted by his wife, First Lady Christine Kaseba. All these video clips have been without sound fueling speculation that Sata’s voice is still not acceptably audible.
The video clips have now been dubbed ‘picture without sound’ because all we are seeing are awkward angles of the President with no direct frontal shot showing the face. This is another indication that the face may tell it all about his health like the footage we saw when he insisted on going to the High Court recently. Sata appears to be making a few somewhat steady steps though. Letting him do a few assignments like these within State House is no an attempt to test the waters and see how ‘physically fit’ the old man is and how long he can last standing. Is this in preparation for the official opening of parliament?
Given the fact that all government officials from District Commissioners to Cabinet Ministers, the Vice President and the rank and file of the ruling PF are saying Sata is fit and going about his work at State House all eyes are now set on September 19, 2014 exactly two weeks away, when he is expected to officially open a new session of parliament. But like has been stated this event is an elaborate one. The typical day should start like this – the President wakes up as early as 06:00 and should have breakfast by 07:30 hours then make the short drive from Nkwazi House, the official residence, to the office in State House building for a few administrative issues if any, like the daily security brief.
By 09:00 the presidential security escort is standing by and the motorcade is warming up. 09:20 there about the motorcade carrying the President starts rolling out of State House exiting through the main gate on Independence Avenue and will drive past the Supreme Court turning right into Chikwa Road then into Addis Ababa Drive before driving into Great East Road. Then at the junction of Parliament Road and Great East Road the presidential motorcade slows down and is joined by Police officers on horseback, the mounted escort. This is a marvel to watch.
The speed is no more than 50 km/h. The horses gallop and the motorcade rolls on Parliament Road all the way to the Presidential gate of the National Assembly building where a contingent of Zambia Army troops from the Second Battalion in Lusaka’s Arakan Barracks and an artillery unit from Kalewa Barracks in Ndola are on standby to give the presidential 21 gun salute. This should be around 09:45 and the President and Commander-In-Chief is received by the Commanders of the Zambia Army, Zambia Air Force, Zambia National Service, the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Prisons and then goes straight on to the saluting diaz.
The guard commander of the troops from the Second Battalion of the Zambia Army will then invite the President to inspect the guard of honour. These days the inspection is done in quick time as opposed to the slow march in previous years but the Head of State is also expected to acknowledge the colour party carrying the insignia of the battalion. After the guard of honour the troops will march past the President and Commander-In-Chief in quick time while he is standing presumably at attention on the saluting diaz.
When this is over he turns around and descend the diaz and is immediately met by the Speaker at the foot of the steps leading to the National Assembly. It is a majestic walk ascending these steps with the Zambia National Dance Troupe performing dances on one side and party cadres chanting on the other side all the way up to the building. Then the President enters the building and goes straight to the Speaker’s chambers to sign the visitors’ book. It is also assumed that the President uses this opportunity to wash his hands before making the final entry into the main chamber to deliver a speech which by tradition has not been less than 30 minutes.
As can be seen this is a process that requires a lot of energy and one must really be in tip top condition health wise. The big question on most people’s lips now comes in – will our president Mr. Michael Sata be able to endure this rather long and strenuous assignment given that he is under serious medication and is obviously not in the best of his health? It is clear that September 19, 2014 will mark a serious turning point for not only the ruling PF but Zambia as a whole. With all the denial in the corridors of power over the President’s ill health and the fact that there is credible information that his voice may still not be audible on that day are we going to see a fit looking Sata going through that elaborate procedure only to compromise his already complicated and fragile health condition or are we going to see him step down in the interest of his health and seeing a swift handover of power to whoever?
Let us not underplay this episode. Remember what happened in 2008 with Levy Mwanawasa? He jumped on a plane to Egypt even when earlier that day he had told the Catholic bishops attending a regional meeting in Lusaka that he was not feeling too well. We did not know as citizens but Mwanawasa went and the next day we heard he had collapsed and the rest is what we all know. There was so much talk about Mwanawasa’s failing health especially after the heart attack/stroke he suffered in 2006 but those that surrounded him and worse still his family looked the other way. This scenario seems to be repeating itself.
Well quite frankly the official opening of parliament is demanding it may have a serious toll on our President that is why if there was a way of September 19, 2014 should just not come at all.
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