By Field Ruwe
Before I tip my hat to the above-mentioned persons, I wish to appeal to State House to correct or pull down Dr. Christine Kaseba-Sata’s profile at www.1stladies.org/wp-content that shows her date of birth as 1963. A “Christine Mwelwa Kaseba-Sata Profile” search on the Internet results in a pdf curriculum vitae bearing a State House address and a wrong DOB. The CV also contains her State House phone number, mobile phone number and her email address. It is misleading. I have since made the correction in my last article which can be accessed at:
www.scribd.com/doc/204858387/Biography-of-President-Michael-Chilufya-Sata-President-of-Zambia
Let me also take this opportunity to address Aruna Mwangaila (nom de plume) who is an employee of the Network Rail, the company that has taken over the running of British Rail infrastructure in England. Mwangaila writes:
“The data we have is that he [President Sata] worked for our company at Victoria Station and other platforms around London not as a shunter, conductor, and locomotive driver (as per the author’s research) but as a restrooms and locomotive janitor [cleaner].” Mwangaila continues: “There were so many West Africans and Jamaicans working with him, some recently retired from the company. From what they said, he simply didn’t take orders from his superiors especially fellow blacks hence he was moved from one station to another within London. I hope this clarifies things a little bit.”
Finding information on Michael Sata
During my research I came across similar information, but it was all secondary. I made an effort to contact Network Rail and received the following reply:
“Please contact the current Department of Transport in the UK who may be able to help you further, as our company has been in existence for 17 years.” I sent a query to the department and have not heard from them since. Nevertheless, from what I gathered in the two months of my research, it is very unlikely that Sata worked as a shunter, conductor or locomotive driver.
I would like to thank people like Mwangaila who are coming forward to help document the life of President Michael Sata in its entirety. Also, sincerest thanks go to a blogger named “Native” without whom I would have been at a loss how to proceed. In “deep throat” style, he/she is credited for providing the thread to the needle in the haystack. On December 3, 2013, “Native” blogged:
“Field should ask the Catholic Church in Zambia, they will probably give him a testimonial of President Sata’s academic excellence at Lubushi Mission. I’ve given him a pointer and from that he can research.”
Indeed, “Native” provided the master key: “LUBUSHI.”
I immediately sent a query to Father Alfred Mupeta compiler of Lubushi Minor Seminary alumni at https://sites.google.com/site/trustlsss/past-pupils. When I did not hear from him, I used his list to put together names of Sata’s peers at the seminary — Lazarous Bwalya, Emmanuel Chikopela, Pontianus Funga, Paul Makasa and others. I also included some of his seniors such as Abel Bendela, Stanslaus Chilamo, Marius Chimenya, Christopher Chisense, Celestine Chitalu, Emmanuel Katati, Barnabas Lobati, Mattias Ndefeti, and Jacob Lombe Tembo. I made an effort to contact some of them, most who have retired. It was a daunting task.
After my queries produced naught, I resorted to the Internet. There is virtually nothing on the Internet about Sata’s early life that we already don’t know. On Ancenstry.com, I found a Michael Sata who boarded a ship in 1956 from New York to London. His nationality was Japanese. I also found three more Asians with a similar name, one a very fat sumo wrestler.
I also sent an email to the South African-based Telegraph reporter Asslinn Laing in an attempt to share her notes from the 2011 interview, but drew a blank. When Sata became president, Laing travelled to Lusaka from South Africa for a one-on-one interview with the newly-elected president. I was hoping she had asked him about his childhood. She did not respond.
I was about to throw in the towel when it occurred to me that the Boston University has one of the well-stocked African Studies libraries in the U.S. Located on the 6th floor of the Mugar Memorial Library at 771 Commonwealth Avenue, the library contains over 200,000 volumes and research collections on Africa, and hundreds of book titles, magazines, and newspapers on Zambia, dating back to the Cecil Rhodes times. It was my last straw. In BU database I first entered keywords: SATA, Michael” and “Africa Confidential” popped up. I read about how FTJ with his G5, that included Sata, plotted to have KK deported, among other very dark stuff. But that’s not what I was looking for.
I added “LUBUSHI” to his name, and god behold! The following appeared:
Africa Year Book and Who’s who (1977) – Page 1319: SATA. Michael Chilufya. Zambian businessman, managing director, Tanners and Taxidermists (Zambia), executive…Katibunga Seminary, 1947-48, Kantesha, 1948-51, Lubushi Seminary, 1951-56
… I had discovered gold!
After a gruesome month of search in the Boston Public Libraries, I had finally made a breakthrough. With the help of other records I was able to sew together Sata’s life from 1937 (1936?) to date. Lest I forget, credit should also go to that son of the soil, retired Detective Blackwell Barrow Chifita who, in 1958, arrested Sata. His statement, true or false, helped to fill the gap between 1957 and 1960. It is now up to the warder who booked Sata into his prison cell to tell his side of the story.
A Book that explains Sata
By the way, it was in the Boston University library that I found Dr. Henry Meebelo’s book: African Proletarians and Colonial Capitalism: The origins, growth, and struggles of the labour movement to 1964. I encourage Zambian scholars and those who wish to study the life of president Sata to read the book. Published by the Kenneth Kaunda Foundation (KKF), it shows why Sata is an authoritarian and displays signs of dictatorship. It is clear from the book that Sata has always been obsessed with power. Each time he has assumed a role of leadership he has ensured that no one in his close circle is able to establish a power base. It is on this premise the Patriotic Front (PF) is based.
Evidently, it has become apparent even to those mediocrities and lackeys who surround him with cunning opportunism that he is responsible to no one, not to the people who put him in power. He obeys no laws other than those of his making. Just now he has subjected the draft Constitution of Zambia to his arbitrary conduct and cast doubt on its execution; he has instructed his Minister of Education to introduce local languages from pre-school to the fourth grade, an act that will deny children of the poor an education compatible with the fast-changing world; he has approved the excavation of a massive hole in the Lower Zambezi National Park by an Australian mining company with no regard to ecological negatives; and of course he can decide to blow the poor man’s taxes at some unknown beach if he so wishes.
Pardon my digression. This article is about thanking Fred Mmembe, George Chellah, Amos Malupenga, and other “intrepid” journalists at The Post without whom the biography of President Michael Sata would have been possible.
The Boston University has archived all their stories. With finesse Mmembe and his team dug into Sata’s life and came out with words like “liar,” “thug” “unprincipled,” “unfit” “corrupt” “plunderer, demagogue” and “thief.” Believe me, each time I entered the name “SATA” in the database and tagged any of the above words, I was referred to an article written either by Mmembe, Chellah, or Malupenga.
Mmembe’s quotes about Sata found at Boston University library
Interestingly enough, I also discovered that Western scholars and authors of books about Zambia like Miles Larmer, Alastair Fraser, Jeremy Gould, Mary Fitzpatrick, J. Tyler Dickovick, Scott D. Taylor, to mention but a few, find The Post a credible source. They pleasure in titles like “Sata is a political prostitute,” “Sata is not a Messiah,” and “Watch satanic deeds.”
In fact, the most sought are Mmembe’s quotes like
- “No one should believe the satanic pie in the sky promises.
- We all know this man [Sata] and his satanic deeds. His deeds are there for all to see.
They speak of him and who he is.” And also:
- “It is clear Sata will say anything if it helps him to get elected…this is why people must listen very carefully to the promises Sata is making. They must ask themselves ‘what is this man’s true legacy?’ It is true he has done some good here and there. But his destructive traits far outweigh any benefits.”
As I sat up there on the 6th Floor of the Boston University African Studies library, compiling Sata’s life from various sources, I, for once, concurred with Fred Mmembe. Yes, Sata’s destructive traits far outweigh any benefits. Mmembe is right on the money. It is therefore my added pleasure to here acknowledge the indispensable help Mmembe, Chellah, and Malupenga rendered. Their articles prodded me in the right direction. I thank them in more ways than one.
Finally, I wish to thank President Michael Chilufya Sata for not regarding his biography as an invasion of his privacy, defamation, or slander. I sincerely hope he will not resort to methods of banishment and lawsuits like he has done in the past. I wrote the biography without malice. People of Zambia have a right to know their leader. Nothing big or small should lie outside his life.
Read Sata’s biography here:
UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY OF PRESIDENT SATA:PhD THESIS-AS RESEARCHED BY FIELD RUWE THE ZNB COMEDIAN OF THE 70s & 80s.
More graffiti about Sata..
LT you mean you couldnt get a better picture than this diarrhea picture of Sata you are showing us??
The man (Sata) has really caused so much pain in many people for his hard work and focus until he succeeded to become Republican President.
Naba comedian baku ZNBC nabo has an axe to grind.
In fact Sata must be the biggest inspiration to many people that if you work hard and stay focused, you can achieve what you want in life
Lekeni Sata ateke
Field you are sinking to the lowest ebb
There is no need for this, perhaps you should have written a book.
This is such a bore
Thanks
Styopeti mwebakana ati sata is not qualified
This shows our president is a living legend. His history and struggles makes him tye best president zambia ever had.
We are blessed jealous fyabupuba 2016 easy win. Field wabomba
ONE THING TRUE ABOUT THIS UNAUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY IS THAT BLACKWELL BARROW CHIFITA WAS MY GRAND FATHER, BUT I DIDNT KNOW THAT HE ARRESTED SATA IN 1958, AT LEAST HE DID NOT MENTION IT TO US- HE IS NOW DEAD- HE WAS A HOUSE BOY, THEN BECAME A MINE SECURITY OFFICER BEFORE JOINING THE COLONIAL POLICE.
@Ba Ruwe,
I do not suppose the daily express UK can get it wrong when they said Sata was a cleaner at Victoria station in London. He used to carry buckets of faecal matter as there were no flushing toilets in those days. Thats why the man is so bitter and wants to cling to power at any cost. His demise will join the ranks of Mobutu,Idi amini,Gadaffi, and Sadam.
If you want a credible source of info on Sata in UK ask the daily express UK to furnish you with proper details.
If Sata does not listen to the people that put him in power, he will see red very soon, whether he likes it or not.
@ ndobo, have you seen a better picture of sata before? The chap is a golliwog, only fit for scaring children. I’m sure ba madam insists on very dark curtains otherwise anyone waking up to that site in the middle of the night ni straight heart attack.
RUWE, COMEDIAN? HIS JOKE THAT WERE LAUGHED BY HIMSELF ONLY.
But the way those two boys Chellar and Teddy (bodyguard) are charming Ngoshe is wrong, you can’t dress him like that. That Tona (chellar) thinks Ponyax (Sata) will not bite one day.
Are we preparing for ORBITUARY???
Top class Field Ruwe. Everything has fallen to pieces, it is falling like a dead leaf.
M’membe + Chela +Malupenga=Busted Sa-Ta-nzanian.
I don’t even know how to describe the writer of this out of place article. Even a grade twelve pupil would not sink so low! For what is the article?
Is there anything worthwhile to write on Sata. To be honest, the less there is on this Old Rug the better for us and our Children.
Can’t wait to have him erased off our history books! From the picture, nature is fast helping the Zambian people with that wish.
we can safely say that Zambia has fallen to the lowest ebb by choosing this charlatan that can only be described as a golliwog or gunyu masaka! While others are confidently stepping on the world stage with leaders of higher calibre we resort to this funk rescued from the pit latrines at Victoria station. Can’t never!
Field Ruwe
Why do i think you have also been bought like Mmembe?Is it just the conciliatory ending of your article?
He is a professor who does not know that no one is born nor die with riches.
Is he the most educated person on earth? Is he the best person on earth? What about his parents, have they told him where they came from. Even his great grands.
Let him know that in the past, there were no cars, no controlled electricity. Not even a proper cup!
He doesn’t look too good in that picture. Poor thing.
He might just out live you all and by the way, what have you done or archived in your poor lives that Zambia will remember you by?
looks like field ruwe has sleepless nights about zambia. come back and participate if you are man enough. tell me what you contributed to zambia apart from comedy. the president has excelled from his humble beginning. ba phd ruwe is there anything you can show me? I know that it is your wife who took you to usa and not your own accord. real men take their women and not vise versa.
Congratulations Field. You have done us Zambians a great service. We now know that our President is NOT a Grade 4 but much more than that. He advanced his education as much as the colonial system wuld allow natives those days. We also know that insinuations that he betrayed freedom fighters are also out of pure speculation. We also know that he has held good positions in both the public and private sectors and that politically, he is tenacious. As for his character, don’t we all have some weaknesses here and there? Originally from Tanzania?? The least of my worries, really. Our history books record all of us to be immigrants with the Tonga being earliest. Thanks for this revelation, Field. Those who are criticising you for this work are certainly NOT friends of the President.
Natives like Arthur Wina were getting degrees during the colonial era, what are you talking about? let us not bastardize history for the sake of expediency. If we love sata, let us just say chipuba chesu finshi tu nga chita. He certainly is not qualified as a statesman but his political record is there for all to examine. If the majority voted for him then that is just democracy let us not build demi gods. It does not serve us well. I believe posterity will judge Zambia harshly for this choice.
Field Ruwe could you kindly help the Comedians.Revive those memories………..like on that Comedy where you were injecting patients and you keep on calling next,next,next until there was no one to get injection.As a ” DOCTOR” in that Comedy you were forced now to come out to see for yourself if there was no one to be injected.THINK OF THAT FIELD RUWE.
Awe nincito kwena, writing all these items with intention of painting Sata in black….life is like this, God has his own ways of redeeming people from low to high….you will die a common man with your Useless American Papers. God is love
Even if you hate someone with passion, can you write all this? I can tell that Field has nothing to do. Any busy person cannot spend time writing all this? To tell you the truth, I did not even finish reading this article. This only shows that ba Field nimwe ‘ba John solwe ubwali’. It is your wife who is working hard to feed you little pot belly. Field, your father is a Malawian immigrant too, so what? You are still a Zambian and if you are intelligent enough, you can all become president one day, but alas, you are a little man with limited brains. Most of us who are still in Zambia are very proud to be here and have excelled in what we are doing, with or without PhDs.
If you did finish reading the article, you would have realized that Field portrayed the president’s history in a good way. That’s the problem with non readers you make judgements before you understand issues. One thing is that Sata is more educated than what most people think, thanks to this article. And he was also well established before politics, and did not betrey the freedom fighters. Thanks Field.
Diva, please kindly read the story. I found it quite informative actually. In fact you will be surprised that it paints a better picture of the President than commonly known.
The problem we have in Zambia, and I make a generalisation here, is that we hardly know our leaders. And, the main culprit is the lack of serious investigative and objective journalists or researchers.
Why write someones boigraphy without his permission? Why can not write your own biography where there will be ho hear say. What is the motive of using literature review based and not talk to Mr Sata himself. This is a desk top research and not credible since Mr Sata is alive and you can interview him even for a week. I remember there is a detailed interview he did with ZNBC (2006) which more informative. As researchers we are urged to get primary data which is more objective.
The picture shows how important women are in a man’s life. you can tell just from the dressing that she is not around! My poor president!
Thumbs up Dr. Ruwe. This is a good article which should be part of our school curriculum in Zambia. My own view on Sata is that the man achieved a lot. Despite born in the rural part of Zambia he still became influential and succeeded in all what he wanted. Most of our parents came to work as garden boys, cleaners, helpers just to mention a few in the mines and industries. Sata was not near such low jobs. It is true in London despite his level of education the whites could not give him a good job being an African. He has fought a good fight and he deserves to be where he is at the moment. I did not have information about him and now I respect him. Education that time was not really appreciated the way it is nowadays. Politicians need to emulate Sata. The man is determined so to speak.
Ngalande Lukuku……..
That is spot on. Those who are criticising have nothing to offer except to have the President being speculated upon. Surely, did you want Zambians to continue speculating about the education and professional qualifications of the President?
No, let our criticism be elsewhere and not on basic facts. Some of the language may sound unpalatable but that too is part of Field’s effort to build what he believes to be a true image of our President. I am sure educated people like HH, Chipimo, Milupi and other enlightened politicians will appreciate this revelation and use this information to strategise accordingly. Abash ignorance and uninformed speculation. We are not all kaponyas.
indeed. the fact that our President has gone from low to high makes him a very good role model for the young ones who are just in the early stages of their lives. any genuine biographer wouldn’t criticize him for this.
Indeed, non readers will always criticize without reading and understanding the article. That is why some people are commenting on the photo and not the issues in the article. I have taken time to read the whole article, and I think Field has portrayed the president’s history in a good and very informative way. At least we know that Sata is more educated than what was portrayed and he was well established before he joined politics in 1980. The London (cleaner) phase was one of his lowest phases in life but I commend him cause a man has to do whatever he has the do to feed his family. I can also do that job than beg to feed by family. All in all very good and inspiring history. About his dictatorial traits, I think it is his nature of doing things that we can judge him on, as a prezident
Biography Of President Sata : Compiled by Field Ruwe Edited By George Lopez & Eddie Murphy.
Mr Ruwe, please learn that most people that have prospered have a humble back ground and they have worked hard to be where they have ended. Everyone has his/her history.
Lusaka Cholera… says “Mr Ruwe, please learn that most people that have prospered have a humble back ground and they have worked hard to be where they have ended. Everyone has his/her history”. This is precisely what Field Ruwe has brought out regarding the President. You wanted us to remain ignorant.
You should realise that we did not know about this regarding our President until Field Ruwe brought it out. You wanted to keep this vital information hidden from Zambians so that they continue to ridicule the President? You are not a genuine supporter of the President.
Presido has aged very handsomely, those muscles around his neck are so tight like he hits the gym daily! Very goed example for the forever fatty oily young men in Zambia!
As for Ruwe, why dont you stick to the issue at hand than concetrate on bashing someone for making it regardless they failed reviving the economy of the country!
One free advice…. Your parents had nothing, theres too and theres, that is the reality of life! Do we go round dishing on that for failling to instal norms of a dignifield life? No because life is a journey embarked on by everyone using different routes aiming to reach the same destination of success, happiness and fufilment! Write something to offer solutions not this childish rants to satisfy your ego. Enrich our souls on LT please Ruwe……….
Apparently this guy is the CEO for a Centre that does the following: philanthropy, charity, investment, project development, health, research, education, tourism, emergency response, food security and agriculture, and water resource development in sub-saharan Africa. Ever heard him involved in any of these because I haven’t. I suggest he just concentrates on his book ‘The History of Radio in Southern Africa’ so that he gets his PhD
This is great. Sata has been undressed by a brialliant Zambian Schooler. Iam going to Boston tomorrow.
Field, we need biographies for H H, Nevers Mumba, Mulongoti, Cosmo Mumba, Mulongoti, Chipimo and Mpombo for obvious reasons.
Wabo bukala iwe namazai waku USA, konkanyapofye ukupipa amafi utukote elo yalanunka sana kaili mostly ni shiki. Meanwhile the boat will continue its journey and will not change its trajectory
if we had used half our brain we wouldn’t have voted for this man as our president
Let Me Say,
I think you have misinterpreted what I meant. I have no problem with what Mr. Ruwe has written because I already new these facts. My concern is that Mr. Ruwe is trying to say that Mr. Sata does not deserve what he has achieved because of his poor back ground- Period! No one holds someone’s future in his hands. Only God does. So I may be mutobela salt today, but be a big bwana tomorrow- depending on how hard I work to get out this poverty.
@lusaka cholera, that is the way I too understand the article. My understand is according to Field the President does not deserve this achievement. I wonder what Field has achieved apart from comedy. His only achievement is for him as a malawian having married an educated zambian woman.
The biography is welcome. My concern is, why not with endorsements and recommendations from other commentators if credibility is your point of publication at this time/ Also it would be noteworthy if perhaps it was published as a book.
Write your own biography for your children before you die in a foreign land.
The fact about a biography is that everyone has got it, be it a liar, a dictator, a plunderer, etc.. each one of us has a biography. What’s so special about this one? Zero!
How refreshing it is to read Field Ruwe’s articles on Sata. Keep it up my man. I never knew that one day I would know so much about Sata. Leaders are appointed by GOD and he is trying to teach us a lesson!
Seems very honest to me and a good read. I think its well balanced.
Thank your Field Ruwe 4 this revelation abt one Micheal Sata.
Anyway the moral of the story is that regardless of your background u can bcm president.
But 2 climb 2 the top u’ve to b tenacious, persistant, deligent, and above all discpline is a prerequisite.
Iam urging my fellow youths out there 2 in the ghetto 2 read this story and learn something and emulate the cobra.
FAMOUS QUOTES..
“WE PEOPLE FROM NORTH WESTERN RHODESIA SHOULD UNITE. IF WE GIVE POWER TO THESE BEMBAS, WE’LL NEVER GET IT BACK?”
HAKAINDE HICHILEMA
Date : 2009.
Place : Lusaka
Occasion : HH on a membership recruitment campaign trail at a house of a newspaper reporter.
Bushe chachine? Nde doubter. HH is very careful about such things
Kanshi, he made a declaration so openly? The power of the tounge. kekekekeke nice one.
I mean he is careful about losing the Bemba vote
Ruwe reminding Sata (ngoshe) those tiltles boys (Mmembe, Chela and Malupenga) used to cloth him with as ‘A MALUMBO’ Finesse Mmembe’s Post saying Sata is a political prostitute, Sata is not messiah, watch satanic deeds……..
Malupenga and Chella calling Sata a Liar, Thug, Unprincipled, Unfit, Corrupt, Plunderer, Demagogue and Thief. Oh! how things change. Hope Sata has not been induced with dementia (forgetting things due to old age), for if only he recalls those titles we may loose him due to rage that would consume him.
In politics, there are no permanent enemies. But for some people like hakainde and you BLIND followers, it is permanent because you are not politicians.
In revisiting history of Zambia and the gallant fighters who fought for our independence we should not forget people like late Mainza Chona who studied Law at Grays Inn in England and was the first Zambia to qualify as a Barrister in 1958. See the difference? These are some of the gallant freedom fighters, nationalists who united us.
From my own point of view, I wouldn’t for one moment glorify a leader who is so divisive. It is such leaders that have brought strife to some African Countries.
The main achievement and mileage should not be getting into state house & demonstrating what poor background one came from, this is , “egocentricity”.
Binding the nation together and coming up with formidable national development plans which includes tackling unemployment is what we…
Well researched article, makes interesting reading.
Granted Sata has done a great a job for himself, family and a lot of hangers on. But what makes a country great is not just politicians ascending to high office. Zambia is a country where politicians destroy any successful private citizen. What makes USA great is not obama but the spirit of free enterprise in that country. Same with Britain, any citizen can aspire to be great without the fear of politicians becoming jealous. I will never invest my billions in Zambia or my intellectual property, lest they are looted by crazy politicians and corrupt relatives in the supreme court. Useless country. (of no use to its inhabitants). Where is Francis Kaunda, Clive Chirwa, Andrew Sardanis? Crazy country!!!!! Last week the army was on HH’s farms. What for? to make politicians happy.
Good job sir, but I cannot see the Chief’s name where Chitulika village is situated. Our NRC info.. Village…, Chief…. District….