Africa-Press – Zambia. On December 26, 2023, KapiriMposhi Member of Parliament, Hon. Stanley Kakubo resigned following a social media frenzy over his alleged mine dealings with a Chinese businessman.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is the second Chief Diplomat of the country after the President, and the two personalities are the most prominent faces and representative of the country.
Foreign ministers are also traditionally responsible for many diplomatic duties, such as hosting foreign world leaders and going on state visits to other countries on behalf of the president.
To this effect, the foreign minister is generally the most well-traveled member of any cabinet.
It is because of that factor that it became clearly inevitable that the scandal that had engulfed Hon. Kakubo would lead to his dismissal and / or cause his resignation even when the matter he was facing was clearly a private business, and a civil transaction gone wrong.
Because of this development, President Hakainde Hichilema appointed the Minister of Justice, Hon. Mulambo Haimbe to act as Foreign Affairs Minister.
It’s been almost six months since the position became vacant and the country still doesn’t have a substantive Minister of Foreign Affairs, a clear disservice to the country and its diplomatic relations.
The principle in international relations is that parties do not deal seriously with non-substantive office bearers.
This is a serious position that is never held in a casual manner for months, as is being witnessed in Zambia.
Further, the current holder, albeit in acting capacity, is not suitable in light of the grave allegations that arose in April 2024.
A woman named Valerie Franco, was allegedly brutally murdered by her husband, Mike Ilishebo.
Ilishebo proceeded to allegedly commit suicide.
Recorded audios emerged where Ilishebo had previously confronted Hon. Mulambo Haimbe about his inappropriate relationship with his wife, a matter that placed Hon.Mulambo at the centre of the subsequent suicide and murder cases of the couple.
To this extent, because of the allegations surrounding those deaths, Haimbe may not, for now, even be suitable to hold the position of Minister of Justice.
Further, the Zambia Police have not held a Coroner’s Inquest, an inquiry that is conducted into the circumstances surrounding a suspicious death.
Clearly, for these reasons, Hon. Haimbe is not suitable to hold the position of Foreign Affairs, because of the weight of that office in Zambia’s international affairs and the very reason that caused Hon. Kakubo to resign.
In the past, these moral issues would be relegated to a space of private affairs, but since the enactment of the new Constitution in 2016, such matters are now constitutional as provided for in Article 8 and 9, which mandates and directs the President of the Republic of Zambia to uphold and lead in promoting national values and principles.
This matter is taken so seriously that the President is directed to report to the nation, once a year, through Parliament, progress he has made in the year in upholding and promoting national values and principles.
Further, it is worrying that up to now, certain key diplomatic posts of ambassadors remain vacant for months, such as Kenya and Russia.
It is therefore imperative, that the President appoints and fills the vacant position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, especially that he has competent and requisite persons among his MPs and Ministers that he can draw and pick from.
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