Zambia’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Ms Marvis Muyunda, presents her credentials to President Jakaya Kikwete at the State House in March, this year. PHOTO/FILE
Zambia’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Ms Marvis Muyunda, has lost her job following a recall by the new administration under President Michael Sata.
Ms Mayunda, reportedly an aunt to the late President Levy Mwanawasa, was among 12 ambassadors axed in an announcement made by Foreign Affairs Minister Chishimba Kambwili.
The country’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Ms Christine Lambart, also suffered a similar fate. Ms Mayunda presented her credentials to President Jakaya Kikwete in March.
Mr Kambwili told Zambia’s The Post newspaper on Monday that the termination of contracts for the envoys was “with immediate effect” but they would be accorded a three-month period to prepare their return home in line with their conditions of service.
Other reports suggested that those recalled may have paid the price for associating with the former ruling party – the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) whose candidate, and immediate former president, Mr Rupia Banda, lost to Mr Sata in last month’s General Election.
Yesterday, activity at the High Commission’s offices in Dar es Salaam continued as usual even though efforts by The Citizen to see Ms Mayunda were unsuccessful. No one was ready to talk about the news of her recall.
Employees at the embassy told The Citizen she could not see anyone or grant telephone interviews as she was holed up in a scheduled daylong meeting with other officials.
In Lusaka, the list of the diplomatic ‘casualties’ also included former Republican Vice President Dr Nevers Mumba (Canada), former president Rupiah Banda’s cousin Agness Ngoma ( Mozambique), and Zambia Army ex-commander General Isaac Chisuzi ( Namibia).
According to Mr Kambwili, others who have been recalled are Professor Royson Mukwena (UK), ex-minister Marina Nsingo ( Botswana), Albert Muchanga (Ethiopia and AU), Reuben Musakabantu ( Malawi), Dr Sipula Kabanje (Zimbabwe), Anderson Chibwe ( Malaysia) and Alexis Luhila (Nigeria).
The minister said former deputy chief executive of former ruling party – Jeff Kaande, who served as counsellor at Zambian Embassy in Japan and TV personality Doreen Mukanzo, who was first secretary for press at the mission in South Africa had also been recalled.
Sacking of diplomats were expected after their April 2011 meeting where then president, Mr Banda, thanked them for financing the MMD and urged them to finance his re-election campaign.
Michael Sata, then main opposition leader, rebuked Mr Banda.
“That is the direct Presidential directive that those diplomats should divert money from their missions and send it to Lusaka for his campaign,” said Mr Sata
The 74-year-old Sata had promised to depoliticise the diplomatic service. Presidents usually appoint political loyalists, relatives and associates to diplomat posts. Source/The Citizen, October 19,2010; Reported by Elias Mbao in Lusaka and Bernard Lugongo in Dar es Salaam.
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