Writer lampoons Zambian leaders

Roy Clarke has gone into hiding

A British writer appealing against his deportation from Zambia for insulting the president has had a second article published criticising the government.

Roy Clarke had compared President Levy Mwanawasa in a satirical Post newspaper column to a "foolish elephant".

In his latest piece, Mr Clarke called himself a "banished baboon" and the man who ordered his deportation as minister for law and disorder.

The High Court will hear his formal appeal against deportation on Thursday.

Mr Clarke says he will remain in hiding after the government appeared to reject a court order delaying his deportation on Wednesday.

Spider hole

He told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme on Wednesday that although he expected to be caught eventually, he had no intention of giving himself up to the police just yet.

"I am digging my own spider hole," he said.

I am responsible and totally answerable for Roy's column. Come for me and deport me Fred Mmembe The Post Roy Clarke's article

He said that captured former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein made a mistake by making his too hole too small enabling an American soldier to see his beard protruding through the top.

"My hole will be much bigger," he boasted.

The newspaper is standing by their journalist, and Mr Clarke says they should not be going after him.

"The editor of course is responsible for the story. He publishes it," he said.

Anger

Zambian home affairs minister Ronnie Shikapwasha said they were not seeking to deport Mr Clarke vindictively but because it was wrong for him to insult the people of Zambia by referring to the president and government leaders as animals.

Insulting President Mwanawasa means insulting the Zambia people

"You cannot expect Zambians to consider Clarke's referring to leaders as long-fingered baboons, knock-kneed giraffes, hungry crocodiles and red-lipped snake as mere jokes," he told The Post newspaper.

The original article, published in The Post newspaper, was based on George Orwell's Animal Farm.

He compared Zambia's leaders to animals after Mr Mwanawasa had visited a game park.

Fred Mmembe, the publisher of The Post, which has had several run-ins with the government, said he would take responsibility for the article.

On Tuesday, The Post reprinted the original article under Mr Mmembe's by-line.

"I am responsible and totally answerable for Roy's column. It's me who published it, not Roy. Come for me and deport me," Mr Mmembe said.