Africa-Press – Zambia. Green Party leader, Peter Sinkamba has demanded that President Hakainde Hichilema addresses the nation on the sacking of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Ronald Simwinga following conflicting statements about his departure.
This week, Mr Simwinga became the latest high ranking government official to be fired for allegedly recalling and replacement of diplomats. But in a strange turn of events, Dr. Simwinga denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he was duly instructed to do so by higher authorities. And now Mr Sinkamba is calling on President Hichilema to clear the air on what exactly transpired with Mr Simwinga’s sacking.
“The question is: which higher authorities are these? Are there higher authorities than President Bally? Is President Bally merely pawn in this grand masters’ game of chess, or what? Who ever was involved to give instructions to Dr. Simwinga must be a very, very powerful person in the power play of UPND Alliance, perhaps even more powerful, and feared by even President Bally himself,” Mr Sinkamba said.
“For if it were merely some petty mischievous civil servant, three things would have happened: First, immediately the saga came to his attention, without beating about the bush, President Bally would have named the culprit. The fact that President Bally used innuendoes on this very serious mischief, is proof the the person involved must be mysterious master from “Beijing”.”
“Second, President Bally would have named the diplomats involved and immediately correct the situation. The fact that President Bally could not even name the recalled, or indeed identify the appointed, means that the decision of the mysterious master from “Beijing” is final and irreversible,” he observed.
“Third, Dr. Simwinga had the audacity to openly and publicly reply to President Bally. It is very, very unusual for civil servants and diplomats to do so. The fact that Dr. Simwinga did a rebuttal in that manner, is a diplomatic signal to show that President Bally was merely pretending; that he did not know beforehand the person who issued the hire and fire instructions.”
He added, “In all fairness, for the sake of the integrity of Zambisn diplomsts on the international stage, and supremacy of the Office of the President, may President Bally address the Nation, even for ten minutes, to clear the air on this very embarrassing diplomatic glitch.”
“Otherwise, Zambia risks to find itself in a situation where foreign countries will be rejecting receiving credintials of diplomats from our country, simply because in this country, anybody can appoint anyone as a diplomat, and nobody cares.”
