Election

Watching the elections in Zambia as an observer has been fascinating. Almost half of our students were absent from class on Wednesday afternoon because they had to travel to their homes to vote in their home districts. There were no classes on Thursday because it was election day.

It looks like the opposition party has swept into power. As the results trickle in, Michael Sata appears to be winning. Sata is a man the news media labels a "firebrand." His other nickname is "King Cobra." We were concerned about news reports in which he praises Mugabe of Zimbabwe for getting rid of Western influence. However, we were in Livingstone over the weekend and heard from a man who knew Sata when Sata was mayor of Lusaka. He says Sata is hard-working and did a good job in his other government roles. We will hope and pray for the best.