– ‘You can’t hide death’ –
“They knew well that he was going to seek medical attention. You can hide sickness but you can’t hide death. Now the whole world knows that the man has died in hospital.”
In the hours following Sata’s demise it was unclear who would lead the country, or his Patriotic Front party, which has been accused of creeping authoritarianism.
Sata had named Defence Minister Edgar Lungu as acting president before he left for Britain, despite doubts about the constitutionality of that move.
But it later emerged that Sata’s deputy Scott, 70, will take the reins until elections are held within 90 days.
Scott – whose parents came from Scotland – becomes the first white president of an African nation since FW de Klerk ruled apartheid South Africa more than 20 years ago until 1994.
But he is not eligible to stand in upcoming elections, thanks to a constitutional rule barring presidential candidates whose parents were born outside Zambia, a former British colony.
In an address to the nation Scott vowed to uphold the constitution and announced a period of mourning.
“We will miss our beloved president and comrade,” he said.
US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki welcomed Scott’s appointment as interim president until elections are held.
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