Dr Guy Scott, former Vice-President of the Republic of Zambia, died on Wednesday 15th July 2026, at the age of 82. The President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema has honoured Dr Scott by 5 days of national mourning and a State Funeral on Monday 20th July, 2026.
Friendship
Guy Scott was a long-standing friend of mine and of my first husband, Dr Mike Bush. We met in 1973 at Callum Christie’s home on Leopards Hill, 53 years ago. Callum was Guy’s partner in the first strawberry export business in Zambia at Walkover Estate by the then new international airport. I remember Guy striding up to the house already talking away while Manja, his lovely Croatian wife, followed behind loaded down with huge boxes of strawberries for our lunch.
Peterhouse School
I had just met Guy’s old Peterhouse schoolfriend , John Fynn. John’s dog was called Wedza after the place I had lived in in Rhodesia, and I gathered that Guy’s political opinions had caused him problems at this posh Rhodesian school. I knew I was in trustworthy company as my London friends were South African exiles and members of its African National Congress. I had chosen to come to Zambia so that my children would not be subject to the racism of Rhodesia where my family lived, but the Southern African Liberation wars had begun, borders had been closed, political problems and food shortages were increasing.
Strawberry Farm
Life was not easy, but our friendship with Guy and Manja and their friends grew and sustained and enriched us. Mike did regular health clinics for the strawberry farm workers at Walkover. The artist, Cynthia Zukas, another friend, made drawings and etchings of the workers. Guy’s brain was always fizzing away with economics, politics and ideas of social change, all stuff I loved to discuss and argue about. Guy built a lovely house for Manja on the hilltop at Walkover. I remember standing on the veranda with Guy and Manja’s son Sasha, as a Rhodesian fighter plane did a Victory Roll a few feet over the house on its way to terrorise the airport. The Rhodesians had just bombed a ZAPU campsite killing 100s of people. They had also tried to kill the ZAPU leader, Joshua Nkomo, whose Lusaka house was near ours.
Changes
Guy was the centre all our friends circulated around and fell in love with. The strawberry business was successful, and Guy and Callum may have been among the first kwacha millionaires. Manja and I used Callum’s house as an art studio together when Callum moved out. We spent time together and so did our children. I, however, had a solo art exhibition at Mpapa Gallery, and all our lives began to change.
Killing Eyes
The Scotts went to Spain briefly, then to Lewes in England, and finally Guy was given a research fellowship in Oxford. Mike and I caught up with them in London and in Oxford. It was an sad time for Guy and Manja, much as they loved each other, they were very different people. Guy had written a Sci-Fi book, but it fizzed like his brain with too many ideas. He was also very unhappy with his Oxford work and said something like- “It is about giving weapons vision so they can kill. I don’t want to be part of it.” Manja and Guy divorced and Guy came back to the Zambia he loved.
One Party State
Zambia was in crisis economically and politically. President Kenneth Kaunda, fundamentally a good and modest man and worker for African freedoms, had nationalised the mines, but also made a One-Party State during the difficult years of the liberation wars. Zambians were angry and the students rebelled, riots started everywhere. I had to drive back from the airport under armed protection and flying bullets. At one point, rioters in the city stampeded and looted shops. Mike’s clinic was closed and so was Mpapa Gallery where I was working. My daughter, Tanvir, was rescued by my gallery secretary from an army round-up. President Kaunda wisely agreed to step down after 27 years and reinstate democracy. Guy again devoted himself to politics and to serving for the Zambian people and he joined with Frederick Chiluba’s party.
Trotover
Guy had moved to his Trotover Estate, so named because it was a pig farm. Sadly, President Kaunda had accepted a gift of pigs from abroad and unintentionally brought swine fever into Zambia. Guy’s farm was infected and he had the dreadful and shocking job of slaughtering and burning 1000s of pigs. After that painful horror, Trotover would become an equestrian centre under Karen Wallace.
Democracy
Changing Zambian politics was extremely challenging and even dangerous. It was 1991. After a quarter century without democracy Zambians had riots rather than campaigns and after several months Guy looked as if he had PTSD and no sleep. All through it, however, he had the intelligent and pragmatic support of Charlotte Harland. They married in 1994. Mike and I were pleased to help with the wedding and the food. Ironically this was also the time I divorced Mike and left Zambia and sadly after this I saw little of Guy and Charlotte, though I kept in touch with Zambia through my art and my children. Zoe worked in the Luangwa Valley, Tanvir made two documentary films in Zambia, one about street-kids, the second about Mike’s work with HIV/AIDS at Chilanga hospice.
Feeding Zambia
Under President Chiluba, as Minister of Economics, Guy Scott did a significant and important job of finding food for a hungry Zambian nation at the height of the HIV/AIDs epidemic. Some years later I watched the State Funeral of Nelson Mandela on TV and was impressed to see Guy, the Acting President of Zambia after the death of President Michael Sata, help Kenneth Kaunda pay his respects to Mandela. This was Zambia at its best. I was also delighted and amused to see Acting-President Guy and First Lady Charlotte meet Barack and Michelle Obama in America, another wonderful moment in world history.
Family Gratitude
My family owe Guy Scott a huge debt of gratitude for all he did for Mike’s funeral in 2012. Tanvir had had to deal with the very sad complications of end-of-life arrangements for Mike in South Africa, but Guy helped with the flight for the return of Mike’s body for the funeral and both he and Charlotte made arrangements for Mike’s Memorial service and a reception at the State Office.
Guy Scott’s Achievements
My journalist friend, Michael Holman and my journalist grandson, Stephen K Bush reviewed Guy’s book Adventures in Zambian Politics a Story in Black and White. It is a fascinating book about his experiences and dedication to Zambia. I spent time with Guy and Charlotte on my last visit to Zambia to see my family. I had hoped to see him again in October when I return to Zambia for my art exhibition at the Lechwe Art Gallery but sadly that will not happen. Guy’s long-standing friend, Alan Cowell has written an excellent obituary for Guy in The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/15/world/africa/guy-scott-dead.html
Guy Scott, you will be remembered by me for being both argumentative and sensible. I loved the fact that you never tried to make Zambia fit any political theories, you always looked at Zambia’s problems and did your best to find solutions that worked and often you got it right.
Well done my old and kind friend!