Last week the donor states delivered a letter to Mr. Chiluba asking him to stick to the two-term rule. At first Mr. Chiluba promised to comply. But evidently his attachment to the power structure he has created is not easy to break. The president won praise and Western support early on, especially after he decided to privatize more than 200 state-owned companies and open Zambia's economy to foreign investment. But privatization led to crony capitalism, as well-connected officials and presidential friends grabbed hold of state companies.
Corruption is now widespread.
The United States long tolerated rulers such as Mr. Chiluba in Africa if they were friendly to U.S. foreign policy and business investors. But with the continent facing a health emergency and rapidly falling behind economically, Washington can no longer afford to countenance dictators. News Jobs AP Shopping Archives Entertain.