# An African state gets it first White leader since de Klerk **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 29, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900 "2014-10-29T13:58:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/1 "2014-10-29T13:58:58Z")
Zambian President [Michael Sata](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Sata) has been ill for some time now, he had a heart attack in 2008 and left the country for a “health check” earlier this month. When he missed the country’s 50th independence anniversary (October 24th) the people were saying that it was only a matter of time before he died. Well that day was yesterday, where he died in a London hospital at the age of 77. This story is not very notable as African leaders often leave their countries for emergency care in European hospitals (for example Ethiopian PM [Meles Zenawi](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=660928) died in a Belgium hospital 2 years ago). What is interesting is that the vice president [Guy Scott](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Scott) is now the new leader of Zambia. Guy Scott is a born and raised white Zambian (when it was then “Northern Rhodesia”), which makes him the first white leader of an African democracy…ever. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/2 "2014-10-29T14:40:15Z")
I’m sure Scott will be inspiration to white people throughout the world and will be a held up as role model to white children to show them that they too can grow up to be President. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/3 "2014-10-29T14:44:45Z")
Actually, it’s not clear that this is so. Zambia’s Vice-President doesn’t automatically assume the Presidency upon the death or disability of the President; further, the Defense Minister had been running the country during Sata’s illness, and there may be a constitutional bar to Scott serving as President. See: [Zambian President Michael Sata dies in London - BBC News](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29813612) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/4 "2014-10-29T15:13:25Z")
Is the OP saying that the King of Morocco isn’t “white”? What about the President of Egypt? [Mohammed VI of Morocco - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_VI_of_Morocco) > **[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdel_Fattah_el-Sisi)** > > Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil el-Sisi\[a\] (born 19 November 1954) is an Egyptian politician and retired military officer who has served as the sixth and current president of Egypt since 2014. Before retiring as a general in the Egyptian military in 2014, Sisi served as Egypt’s deputy prime minister from 2013 to 2014, as its minister of defense from 2012 to 2013, and as its director of military intelligence from 2010 to 2012. He was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal in January 2014. > Si... ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/5 "2014-10-29T15:23:25Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Is the OP saying that the King of Morocco isn’t “white”? What about the President of Egypt? > > [Mohammed VI of Morocco - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_VI_of_Morocco) > > [Abdel Fattah el-Sisi - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdel_Fattah_el-Sisi) Well, yes that is a matter of debate as racial categories are social constructions thus dictated by personal norms. However neither the King or Morocco nor the President of Egypt had European born parents but locally born ones (unlike Guy Scott). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/6 "2014-10-29T16:57:14Z")
So aren’t you really saying “first leader of European heritage since de Klerk?” ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/7 "2014-10-29T17:28:51Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > So aren’t you really saying “first leader of European heritage since de Klerk?” Nope, I’m making a judgement call and using White, of course that would that be incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/8 "2014-10-29T17:37:03Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > Nope, I’m making a judgement call and using White, of course that would that be incorrect. …of course what you wrote isn’t incorrect either (and it side steps racial wording). ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/9 "2014-10-30T04:17:06Z")
This all depends on who you talk to. Jerry Rawlings, former president of Ghana, had a Scottish father. Where we in the States consider someone half-black to be black (Obama, for example), in Africa, it’s sort of the reverse. Rawlings’ detractors used to call him “that white bastard.” Ian Khama, the new president of Botswana, is also half-white, on his mother’s side. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/10 "2014-10-30T12:40:20Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > This all depends on who you talk to. Jerry Rawlings, former president of Ghana, had a Scottish father. Where we in the States consider someone half-black to be black (Obama, for example), in Africa, it’s sort of the reverse. Rawlings’ detractors used to call him “that white bastard.” Ian Khama, the new president of Botswana, is also half-white, on his mother’s side. Thanks for the info, very interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/11 "2014-10-30T12:45:18Z")
> [@orcenio](#): > > However neither the King or Morocco nor the President of Egypt had European born parents but locally born ones (unlike Guy Scott). Technically, de Klerk did not have European born parents either. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/12 "2014-10-30T12:55:25Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Is the OP saying that the King of Morocco isn’t “white”? What about the President of Egypt? > > [Mohammed VI of Morocco - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_VI_of_Morocco) > > [Abdel Fattah el-Sisi - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdel_Fattah_el-Sisi) The King of Morocco wasn’t democraticly elected. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/13 "2014-10-30T19:51:13Z")
How stable is Zambia? I mean, how likely is his tenure to last for more than a few minutes? I don’t know who said it, but > [@Somebody or other on the development of democracy in Africa](#): > > One man, one vote - one time. Regards. Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/14 "2014-10-30T20:00:00Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > The King of Morocco wasn’t democraticly elected. If you are going to get all technical, neither was Sisi, for most values of “democratically”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/15 "2014-10-30T20:30:38Z")
Someday we’ll live in a paradise where people are judged on their character. Someday. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/16 "2014-10-30T20:54:41Z")
Oh, you’re no fun. 🙂 Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/17 "2014-10-30T21:01:15Z")
Well, according to Wikipedia, he’s a roboticist and AI specialist. How cool is that? ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/18 "2014-10-31T16:59:09Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > How stable is Zambia? I mean, how likely is his tenure to last for more than a few minutes? > > I don’t know who said it, but > > Regards. > Shodan Zambia is a stable country [with no coups](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_Zambia), but Scott is only “_acting_-President” so he’s in charge just until an election is held (within 3 months). An election he cannot run for due to both his parents being born outside the country. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/19 "2014-10-31T17:36:53Z")
His opponents are claiming he was born in the US 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900/20 "2014-10-31T18:26:12Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > His opponents are claiming he was born in the US 🙂 HA! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-african-state-gets-it-first-white-leader-since-de-klerk/702900.md?page=2)