Zambia: Mwanawasa Leaves Mixed Legacy

Source from:  Inter Press Service (Johannesburg) 20 August 2008 08/22/2008

More than two months after suffering a stroke while at the African Union (AU) summit in Egypt, Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has died in hospital in France. Zambian Vice President Rupiah Banda made the announcement that Mwanawasa died after his health deteriorated earlier this week, forcing doctors to perform emergency surgery. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa's leadership of Zambia surprised neutral and opposition parties alike. Mwanawasa became vice president of Zambia in 1991. He was involved in a serious road accident in 1991, and upon recovery almost one year later he chose to pursue a private career as the head of a law firm. He came back to politics in 2001, when he was elected Zambia's third president, and took over a public service system that was highly corrupt and failing to deliver services amidst an economic downturn in the country. During his campaign for the 2001 presidential elections, opposition parties and many neutrals argued that Mwanawasa could not manage the affairs of the nation because he was a "cabbage" -- a reference to his health after the 1991 accident that appeared to have severely affected him and even impaired his speech. However, within the first few months of becoming president in 2002, Mwanawasa declared zero-tolerance towards corruption. The "big shots" in the political realm and public service were the most affected in this anti-corruption drive, foremost being former President Frederick Chiluba. Transparency International, the global coalition against corruption, ranks Zambia 123rd -- tied with Comoros, Mauritania and Niger -- in its latest Corruption Perceptions Index 2007. Burma and Somalia, ranked 179th in the Index, are the countries viewed as the most corrupt. Zambia is ranked 68 in the latest index measuring the level of press freedom in 169 countries that is published by Reporters Without Borders. A chairman of the AU, Mwanawasa devoted much time to peace-building missions in the Great Lakes Region. Mwanawasa was very concerned with the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe, as Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairman, and called an emergency meeting to resolve the crisis in April this year. More recently, he called for the postponement of elections during the extreme violence of the campaign period. Perhaps Mwanawasa's most important contribution to Zambia and the region will prove to be his revival of the "sleeping giant" -- agriculture. After years of droughts and poor agricultural policies under the previous administration, Mwanawasa refocused the country on agriculture and productivity has been steadily increasing. The 2004-2015 National Agricultural Policy set out a vision for the development of an efficient, competent and sustainable agricultural sector that assured food security and increased income. Small-scale farmers and other previously exploited rural people have benefited from a guaranteed market as well as the introduction of a "floor price" for their produce. Though there has been an improvement in rural earnings, they remain low compared to urban incomes. The Zambian ministry of agriculture reported in its national food balance sheet that the country had a surplus of 160,000 metric tonnes of maize during 2006-07. In the 2005-06 seasons, the output was 63 percent above the previous season and 54 percent above the five-year average. With Zimbabwe's decline as the region's breadbasket, the agricultural produce from Zambia -- especially maize and other farm products including roses and tobacco -- is exported to neighbouring countries and Europe. In 2007 Zimbabwe accounted for about 4 percent of global exports of the highest quality flue-cured tobacco. Five years ago, Zimbabwe had about 20 percent of world exports, second only to Brazil. Richmond, Virginia-based Universal and Wilson last year bought 15 million kilogrammes of flue-cured tobacco from large growers and 5,515 small farmers in Zambia. That compares with 3.1 million kilogrammes of flue-cured in 2000. The company forecasts Zambia will produce 26.7 million kilogrammes in 2008. Mwanawasa's reduction of domestic debt and borrowing has stabilised the macroeconomic environment in Zambia. Coupled with a productive agriculture sector and reduced interest rates, there has been a drop in the inflation level from 29 percent in 2002 to a just 9 percent in 2006 and 2007. This has attracted business from across the region and beyond, but development of the economy remains uneven. Zambia remains a producer of food and raw materials. Zambia remains very poor with a 50 percent unemployment rate, and 86 percent of the population living below the poverty line, according to U.N. estimates. However the flip side of reduced debt and government spending is sharply reduced funding for social sectors, despite their importance in poverty reduction. There remains a wide gap between the rich and the poor, and limited social safety nets are in the hands of a private sector whose interest is not social benefit but capital accumulation. Infrastructure across the country in terms of roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals remains in a state of disrepair. The country is plagued with multiple challenges of poverty, unemployment and a high disease burden of malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS. Mwanawasa's declaration of the HIV and AIDS epidemic as a national disaster in 2005 was very important. In 2008, the country's prevalence rate had fallen to 12 percent from 16 percent in 2002. While Mwanawasa's health has been of concern ever since he assumed office in 2002, it only came under serious scrutiny in 2007 when he first suffered a stroke and had to travel to London for a prolonged period of specialised medical attention. That year also saw the beginning of a struggle for succession, with several of his ministers positioning themselves to take over. Among the many names that were and remain frontrunners include the ruling party secretary general Katele Kalumba, British-based academic Clive Chirwa, health minister Brian Chituwo, and first lady Maureen Mwanawasa. Although Mwanawasa did not want to commit himself to supporting a successor, he had pointed out that he was already grooming one and would choose one at an appointed time "because leaving this task to the democratic forces to choose one was too risky for the country". He died before he could make a final announcement. For the moment, Vice President Banda is expected to take over as acting leader. Enditem