– Station cleaner to president –
Sata was elected in 2011 to preside over his landlocked, southern African nation of 15 million people.
It was a triumphant post for a man who rose from sweeping London railway stations, through to being a policeman and trade unionist.
Once in power, though, he proved to be an authoritarian populist who inveigled against political foes, the media and sometimes even allies, earning him his snakey sobriquet.
His admirers saw him more as a no-nonsense man of action.
Sata had not been seen in public since returning from the UN General Assembly last month, where he failed to make a scheduled speech.
Even before Sata’s death, analysts had said a power struggle for Zambia’s top job was already well under way within the Patriotic Front.
They now face a divisive primary battle, before a possible general election challenge from former president Rupiah Banda, who is facing graft charges, has hinted at a possible return to active politics.
“I am legally eligible to stand,” he told AFP early this month, citing calls from his supporters to return to the political fray.
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