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SATA Had Been At Sheba: Is ‘Not in Critical Condition,’ Say Israeli Sources
President Michael Sata left Sheba Medical Center on Thursday; may meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres later this week.
SATA
Zambian president Michael Sata is “not in critical condition,” say Israeli sources, adding that he may even meet with outgoing Israeli president Shimon Peres later this week. “He was at Sheba Medical Center until Thursday when he left that hospital,” an official source confirmed on Monday.
With Zambian president Michael Sata flying below the radar, having disappeared some ten days ago, the Zambian rumor mill – and opposition – have been working overtime. While the government continues to insist that Sata is in Israel for a working vacation and will stay as long as he feels like it, the opposition claims he’s profoundly ill, even possibly dying, and was flown to Israel for medical treatment.
However, Israeli sources confirmed Monday that his condition is “not critical.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed Monday that Sata is in Israel for a working visit, but declined to elaborate.
Meanwhile, the country’s vice president, Guy Scott, has been robustly defending his chief’s right to privacy – though even the government has indicated the Israeli visit has a medical aspect. Scott meanwhile has declined to suggest when the president might return, other than to indicate that Sata will come back when he’s ready to.
Earlier Monday, the Zambian publication “The Post Online” quoted the fairly newly-minted governor of the Southern Provice, Daniel Munkombwe, accusing the opposition UPND party of being “un-Zambian” and “un-African” for speculating over Sata’s health – let alone over anticipation of his demise, “so that the country can hold a presidential by-election.”
On Friday, Zambian vice president Guy Scott attacked the opposition for being in “campaign mode” – making hay, as it were, in Sata’s absence. Meanwhile, although Sata had usually appointed Zambian Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda as acting president, apparently the country is being run in Sata’s absence not by the veep or Chikwanda, but by Justice Minister Wynter Kabimba, the secretary general of the Patriotic Front.
Zambia news website Lusakatimes.com reported Monday on a muddle over the source of Kabimba’s authority, which had been announced by the acting government spokesperson, Mwansa Kapeya, and suggests that if Kabimba hasn’t been formally empowered by a letter from Sata, his actions could be “treasonable”.
Sata, Zambia’s fifth president, is the leader of the Patriotic Front, which he formed in 2001 after serving as a minister under former president Patrick Chiluba. Sata had lost his presidential races to Levy Mwanawasa in 2006 and then to Rupiah Banda in 2010, but finally prevailed after ten years in opposition, and won in September 2011.
Rumors have been circulating about the state of his health for more than a year, culminating in the whisper that he was flown to Israel last Friday in a state of unconsciousness. The Zambian government insisted that he had working meetings with Israeli president Shimon Peres, but Peres wasn’t even in the country at the time – he was in the United States.
The last time Sata was seen in public, a source in Lusaka told Haaretz, was some two weeks ago, when he appeared at a dinner for the vice president of China. He looked thin and frail at the supper, the Zambian Watchdog reported.
Charles Milupi, leader of the Alliance for Democracy and Development, told the Zambian Post on Monday that Zambians are sympathetic to the president’s state of health – which had been precarious even before his election in 2011 – and that politicizing it would be wrong. But in the same breath, the Post reported, Milupi is unhappy about Lusaka’s obfuscations: “We require our government to be open… The President does not belong to the PF; he belongs to the whole country,” the Post quoted him as saying.
Zambia has no representation in Israel, nor is Israel represented in Zambia.
With reporting by Barak Ravid and Ronny Linder-Ganz.
Read More HERE
Posted by Editor
on June 30, 2014. Filed under HEADLINES, LATEST NEWS.
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burret
June 30, 2014 at 9:24 pm
Die Sata please die Sata die die die
PS
June 30, 2014 at 9:28 pm
you die first then he will follow you.
kakolwe
June 30, 2014 at 9:24 pm
Who is Patrick Chiluba? Let Sata be Sata. And us, who we are. At least he has lived to achieve his dream in life. Let those that are still pursuing theirs continue to scratch their scrotal sacs in anticipation of the dream they will never achieve. Especially aka ka Abiola of Zm, who thinks he can ascend to power with money!!
bebeni bonfwe
July 2, 2014 at 12:39 pm
@ Kakolwe lol
PS
June 30, 2014 at 9:25 pm
i just want to wish His excellency Micheal Chilufya sata good health. However, my comment is that even if our president in not in good health at the moment, one thing we must be mindful of is that it is natural to go through that state as normal human being, besides that is also an effect that comes with aging. In spite of this, medical attention is still relevant. thank you.
burret
June 30, 2014 at 9:33 pm
Life is so unfair,good people die first but rubbish people like Sata live long why why why.
jek
June 30, 2014 at 9:33 pm
May he get we’ll soon,bt he needs 2 step down,dats wat wise men do.
Mutale Mwanza
June 30, 2014 at 9:35 pm
To test this scenario we are facing as a country, if you are an employee try jumping on a plane and head to the Bahamas using your company’s money to buy the airticket and for your accommodation. To crown it all do this without informing your employer. If your employer querries about your whereabouts, ask your wife to issue a statement that you in the Bahamas on a working holiday and you will meet some of the company’s suppliers and customers. I wonder what the company would do to you on your return?
jek
June 30, 2014 at 9:46 pm
Wishing someone death ain’t right either hard working o nt,jst wonder why levy had 2go so early,may hs soul rest in peace.still waiting 2c one like him.
shimaini
June 30, 2014 at 9:47 pm
@Mutale Mwaza, I like yo wise contribution.
haiggy b
June 30, 2014 at 9:49 pm
surely HH you wished mazoka dead he died and you took over. now hot on yo heals wishing sata dead and want to take over kanshi iwe halenya halenya waba shani kanshi iwe.
zegu
June 30, 2014 at 9:53 pm
sata wil cum bk home next week, kabimba u Cannot b president.
shimaini
June 30, 2014 at 10:00 pm
Ninshi ekwebati ba president takwaba ukubapinako ama leave days? What will happen to Mwansa kapeya & Guy Scott once it is established that they were lieing to Zambians?
What has Mulenga Sata & Noble Sata gone to do there?
Who is now acting as Secretary General since Mulenga Sata is also out & Atanga is not in good boots with Winter?
shimaini
June 30, 2014 at 10:56 pm
Mulenga Sata went out 3 days ago & we ‘ve heard now how he’s woeing investors in Korea. Ba ZNBC, will will you plze show us also how Presdt sata is woeing investors & enjoying his unlimited holiday in Isreal? Lets hope you ‘re preparing ka documentary to be aired on Znbc TV.
kimz
June 30, 2014 at 10:56 pm
who are u to wish some one to die?u wil die first instead becoz God’s plans not man’s plans becoz man is ful of envil minds.
FuManchu
June 30, 2014 at 11:44 pm
Very boring episode in my life the sooner it ends no matter whichever way the better!
ayoba
July 1, 2014 at 12:07 am
“A picture is worth a thousand words” is all I can say.
kum'mawa Sun
July 1, 2014 at 3:26 am
Mukenga Sata wooing investors in korea-clips shown on ZNBC ,whilst Micheal sata wooing and meeting israel businessmen- clip” shown” on speculations
Ba zed
July 1, 2014 at 6:18 am
Leave the big. Man AlOne
mwansa
July 1, 2014 at 6:43 am
ZWD, where were you getting your info from? You cannot run a news forum based on hatred for an individual. He may have made a lot of mistakes but try your best to be professional
bandason
July 1, 2014 at 8:00 am
Is that the latest picture of our dear president? If so, then he is fyn but if its an old pic as I suspect, ninshi you are hiding something.
that nigga grants
July 1, 2014 at 10:54 am
step down nigga
Blackmans Child
July 1, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Pipo sickness whatever illness its part of life yamuntu, Seasons come seasons go, lets concentrate to the country developments and which way forward…
Reveal
July 1, 2014 at 2:16 pm
Please Tumfweko keep up dating the Zambians as usual neever act like Zambian W.Dog
id!ot!
July 1, 2014 at 4:01 pm
Am with you on this ZWD stinks!
golden senator
July 2, 2014 at 2:16 am
some of you wishing sata death will even die b4 him.think
Lllll
July 2, 2014 at 7:56 am
In life we should always learn to be sympathetic what u continuosly talk about tomorrow it will be on u.He who plays with the sword gets killed by one why can’t u leave the health of president Sata alone why can’t u play for him.Life is fun the presidential hopeful u have can even die before Sata but no one would love to see that but such is life.Sata may have made his mistakes but he has also scored some credits which his faithful followers keep seen u can’t see them because u already have a negative perception about him nevertheless in the interest of love peace n harmony see him as yo own parent who needs yo prayers our thoughts must always be that God gives him gud health even the people whom we think are health can die mystiriosly or thru accidents but such is life.Let us learn to pray for our leaders whether in opposition or in govt then the gud Lord shall bless all with gud health.Stay blessed all my brothers n sisters!
MUTALE LAWRENCE
July 2, 2014 at 8:26 am
God is the only one to give life or death. we have started praying for SATAs health three times a day.God, SATA should not die for his developmental agenda of this country he has started especially in rural areas.Take some years from thives who have stollen from govt funds and add to the life of our dear president CHILUFYA SATA. give him more years until CHRIST JESUS returns the second time.
Nigerian pastor to be
July 2, 2014 at 10:53 am
Who is burret? you must be an interesting psychological phenomenon. I have been following your postings.You add colour to life. Life is complete with people like you.
club zero
July 2, 2014 at 6:34 pm
sata cnt die befor correctin his mistake becoz im stil waiting for more money or give me back my vote.2016 kaya chikala