Anthony Mukwita, the deputy editor-in-chief at the Zambia Daily Mail, has made it a point to write any trash against former president Rupiah Banda as along as it is spewed by his saviour Fred M’membe and Amos Malupenga – the permanent secretary for information.
That is not surprising. He did not get his current job on merit because he was camping at Government Complex licking Malupenga’s bottom and pleading with M’membe to return to mainstream media. You don’t expect anything credible from this otherwise brilliant writer.
But since he got the job through begging, pleading and even rolling on the ground before Malupenga as if he had met his traditional leader the Litungu, his objectivity is so impaired that he can’t distinguish basic colours. No sane mind will agree with M’membe that revoking Rupiah Banda’s passport is a right of the state because a passport is a citizen’s privilege.
Rupiah is entitled by law to have a passport. He also, like that foolish boy Mukwita, enjoys fundamental human rights to move freely. He is not under house arrest, nor has he been convicted of any crime for even prisoners themselves are entitled to their human rights.
Even when Mukwita knows this but for as long as his masters have given him an opportunity to drink from an over flowing chalice in the Lusaka Showground, he can write anything useless about Rupiah to please them. Mukwita can enjoy his gin and tonic on the rocks from the Zambia Daily Mail hefty package for now.
It’s good for Mukwita now but he should be wary that his day when not even a magazine will give him a job is coming. He will return to being that pauper at Rhapsody’s people have always known him to be while posing in those girl-styled jeans as if he is one of the advocates of certain queer traditions. For now, he can continue publishing the trash below in Zambia Daily Mail.
Mukwita writes, “We cannot understand why some individuals and organisations have made it a hobby to criticise almost every government decision made in the interest of the nation.
Why, for example, should the cancellation of former President Rupiah Banda’s diplomatic passport by the chief passports officer raise dust?
The former head of State is under investigation in connection with some of the things that happened during his tenure of office, which government’s investigative wings would like him to explain.
But it would be difficult for the joint government investigations team to make any significant headway if Mr Banda is allowed to continue using his diplomatic passport.
It must be appreciated that a passport is not a right but a privilege which the issuing authority, in this case the Department of Immigration, reserves the powers to revoke any time.
The critics of the government’s action are ignoring the fact that Mr Banda has been given an opportunity to apply for an ordinary passport if travelling abroad is so important to him.
The State must have genuine reasons for withdrawing Mr Banda’s diplomatic passport.
But some people have, as usual, been crying blue murder over a purely security measure.
What these people must realise is that a diplomatic passport is a sensitive document which can easily be abused by the holder, especially if that person is under serious investigations.
There is no need to be fighting over a decision meant to serve the interests of the nation. We feel it will be in the interest of the former President himself if he stays within Zambia until he is cleared.
It will also help the investigators to expedite the investigation as it will be easier for them to interview Mr Banda whenever they see the need to.
This cannot be possible if by the time he is wanted to appear before the team to answer one or two questions he is out of the country.
Zambians want to know the truth on the manner in which the former President was running the affairs of the nation during his tenure of office.
We are sure Mr Banda would also want to be given a platform to defend his name from the serious allegations that have been levelled against him.
Is this not what natural justice demands? That any person facing an allegation is given an opportunity to exculpate themselves?
The people of Zambia entrusted Mr Banda with the task of governing the nation on their behalf in 2008.
They sacrificed their meagre earnings to finance the implementation of various national programmes aimed at improving their lives, and giving their children a chance to be educated.
They, therefore, have a right to know how their resources were managed, and how Mr Banda conducted himself general while carrying out the mandate they gave him. Was he above board?
Government, through the joint investigations team, wants the former President to help provide answers to this and many more such questions.
To carry out this task smoothly, the State has deemed it right to revoke the man’s diplomatic passport.
We are, therefore, urging the opposition, civil society organisations and other interest groups to allow the joint investigations team to carry out its work without interference.
Should there be need to restore Mr Banda’s diplomatic passport, we are sure government will do so at its own discretion.”
After all, he has been given the option of applying for an ordinary passport. Let us not foment a storm in a tea cup.
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