Sata, Michael Chilufya, 1937–2014, Zambian politician. Sata was a policeman, railway worker, and trade unionist before entering politics in 1963, and was later (1985) elected governor of Lusaka prov. Unhappy with the one-party rule of President Kaunda, Sata joined (1991) the new Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and became President Chiluba's minister for local government, labor, and health and then minister without portfolio. In 2001 he resigned from the MMD and founded the breakaway Patriotic Front (PF) party; he subsequently ran unsuccessfully for president three times. In 2011, however, he scored an upset victory over incumbent Rupiah Banda to win the presidency. Sata's presidency was marked by tensions with the foreign-owned firms that mined Zambia's copper and by an increasing intolerance of political opponents. He died in office.
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