Andrew Sardanis

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Andrew Sardanis
Andrew Sardanis.png
Born
Andrew Sotiris Sardanis[1]

(1931-03-13)13 March 1931
Cyprus
Died28 February 2021(2021-02-28) (aged 89)
Lusaka CFB Hospital[2]
Occupation
  • Journalist
  • Writer
  • Businessman
Years active1950–2021
Notable credit(s)
  • Zambia: The First 50 Years (2014)
  • A venture in Africa (2007)
  • Africa (2003)
AwardsZAM Order of the Eagle of Zambia ribbon.svg Order of the Eagle

Andrew Sotiris Sardanis (Greek: Ανδρέας Σωτήρης Σαρδάνης; 13 March 1931 – 28 February 2021) was a Cypriot-Zambian journalist and businessman[3] best known for his involvement in Zambia's independence liberation movement and major role in the formation of Zambia's first administration[2] and implementing economic policies of Zambia from 1965 to 1970.[4][5] He served as permanent secretary in the Ministry of State Participation and chairman of Industrial Development Corporation.[6] He was a recipient of Zambia's highest civil decoration the order of the Eagle of Zambia which was awarded to him by president Edgar Lungu in 2019.[7][8]

Early life[]

Andrew was born in colonial Cyprus and migrated to Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in October 1950, when he was 19, as part of a group of migrants displaced by the end of World War II.[9] He spent most of his early life working for his brother in law in a transport company which operated between the Copperbelt and North-Western Province.[4] In his mid-twenties he owned and operated North-Western Trading and by 1957 he had started Mwaiseni stores. He was one of the few white settlers to have actively supported the black liberation movement[10] and he trained and advanced Zambians in his own business, treating them as partners and fellow shareholders and also provided a group of shops that allowed Zambians to transact normally. As a firm anti-colonialist he joined UNIP and in the 1962 elections, he stood as UNIP candidate for Kabompo.[11] He became a passionate freedom fighter and was strongly involved in the independence movement.[12]

Business[]

In 1984 he formed Meridien BIAO as the result of a 1991 merger between the Meridien group's banks started by Mr Andrew Sardanis, a Cypriot born Zambian, and a network of 11 banks he bought from the French liquidator of Banque Internationale pour L'Afrique Occidental (BIAO).[13] Registered in Luxembourg, although it never operated there, Meridien BIAO was 74% owned by Meridien International Bank Ltd (MIBL), which had a banking licence in the Bahamas. The African Development Bank held a 10% stake and the Banque Ouest Africaine de Developpement (BOAD) had a 16% holding. It was capitalised at about $100m.[14] The group reported a net profit of $3.26m in 1993, the last year for which audited figures are available, but after currency translations its reserves declined by $15.2m in that year. MIBL is owned by Meridien Corporation, which is in turn owned by ITM International, a Luxembourg-registered private company controlled by the Sardanis family trust.[15]

Death[]

Andrew died on 28 February 2021, at CFB Hospital in Lusaka.[2] He was 89.[3][14]

Publications[]

  • Zambia: The First 50 Years (2014)[16]
  • A venture in Africa (2007)
  • Africa: Another Side of the Coin: Northern Rhodesia's Final Years and Zambia's Nationhood (2003)[4]

References[]

  1. ^ "Andrew's Memorial". www.mykeeper.com. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "CHAMINUKA OWNER ANDREW SARDANIS DIES ~". 28 February 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b "An important figure in Zambia's history, Andrew Sardanis, passed away". Orthodox Times. 1 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Herbert, Eugenia W. (2004), Review of Sardanis, Andrew, Africa: Another Side of the Coin: Northern Rhodesia's Final Years and Zambia's Nationhood, H-SAfrica, H-Review, retrieved 30 March 2021
  5. ^ "What a friend I had in Sardanis – KK – The Mast Online". Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Kaunda Assumes Control Of Zambian Industries". The New York Times. 30 January 1970. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  7. ^ "COMPANY NEWS – OCTOBER 2019". Buying Property in Zambia. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  8. ^ "Zambia : President Lungu honours 8 Zambians for their distinguished service to the nation". LusakaTimes.com. 25 October 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  9. ^ Chibesakunda, Lombe (11 March 2021). "The Amazing Life and Legacy of Andrew Sardanis". Financial Insights. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia Ltd. – Rhodesian Study Circle". Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Andrew Sardanis gave his life to Zambia, and Zambia its soul to him". Zambia: News Diggers!. 7 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  12. ^ Sardanis, Andrew (2003). Africa : Another side of the coin : Northern Rhodesia's final years and Zambia's nationhood / Andrew Sardanis. London: London : I.B. Tauris.
  13. ^ Sardanis, Andrew (2003). Aventure in Africa. University of Zambia library: London : I.B. Tauris.
  14. ^ a b "Zambia : Andrew Sardanis gave his life to Zambia, and Zambia its soul to him". LusakaTimes.com. 8 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Meridien collapse – the inside story. – Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Book Review: Zambia: The First 50 Years by Andrew Sardanis". LSE Review of Books. 31 January 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
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