cover image Adventures in Zambian Politics: A Story in Black and White

Adventures in Zambian Politics: A Story in Black and White

Guy Scott. Lynne Rienner, $45 (259p) ISBN 978-1-62637-759-2

Scott, who made international news in 2014 by becoming the first white president in sub-Saharan Africa since the end of apartheid, delves into his long career in Zambian politics in this fascinating memoir. A former MP, cabinet minister, and vice president who describes himself as a “maverick, pro-poor, patriotic Zambian white man,” Scott found himself interim president for 90 days following president Michael Sata’s sudden death in 2014. He recounts that remarkable experience in vivid prose touched with sardonic wit. The bulk of the book covers the formation and development of the Patriotic Front, the current Zambian ruling party, which he helped Sata start in 2001. Their guiding principle was simple: “We need to make the government work, the people who work in it care, and the ordinary people feel looked after.” After the party rose to power in 2011, the challenges it faced were legion, foremost being economic underdevelopment, which required dealing with Chinese investors and international donors with often unintended consequences, such as when a surprise appreciation of the Zambian currency jeopardized domestic agriculture and exports. This riveting insider account of the workings of Zambian politics will be of interest to readers following that country’s political scene. (Mar.)