Zambia writer to continue satire

Roy Clarke says it is good to make fun of leaders

British writer Roy Clark says he will continue making fun of Zambia's leaders, after the Supreme Court ruled against an attempt to deport him.

"It was important to demonstrate that you can criticise the government," he told the BBC.

Mr Clarke was ordered to leave the country in 2004 after he compared President Levy Mwanawasa to a "foolish elephant" in a newspaper column.

He is married to a local women's rights activist and he has Zambian residency.

"It's quite in order to laugh at people in power," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

Relief

He denied that it was unAfrican to make fun of leaders, saying traditional chief were often criticised.

"I think it is important in a democracy that one should not be overly respectful of leaders," he said.

"It may be that in African countries, there is too much respect for leaders of government.

"People seem to forget that we elected them, they've got our money and they're supposed to do what we want them to."

He said he felt relieved after Thursday's ruling allowed him to stay in the country, where his children and grandchildren are nationals.

Home Affairs Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha had originally given Mr Clarke 24 hours to leave the country.

Mr Clarke won a legal challenge but the government appealed.

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

He also compared two ministers to baboons.