By Staff Reporter
Zambia’s Ambassador to Sweden Gladys Nundwe has urged UPND secretary general Batuke Imenda to draw certain party members closer to the President for standing up for him against “PF fools” such as Mumbi Phiri.
But Nundwe said she had apologised both on the group and via phone calls to Phiri and George Chulumanda as the message was not meant to be sent on the group but to Imenda.
Nundwe’s message was said to have been posted in the WhatsApp group for former members of parliament. A member in the group said after Nundwe had posted the message in the group, she immediately deleted it, but it had already been captured by others who reposted the same message back.
The member said Nundwe had mistakenly posted the message in the ‘Former members of parliament’ WhatsApp group thinking she was sending the same to Imenda.
In the subject message shared with Daily Revelation, Nundwe suggested certain names of individuals which must be brought closer to the party and the President.
“Good morning, SG. Today, I want not only to bring it to your attention but also to request you to embrace Honourables Edgar Keembe, Hebert Shaabula, Olsen Mutaba, and Simwinji Simwinji. Please SG bring these people more close to the party and to the President himself. These people are genuine and truly deep rooted in UPND,” Nundwe stated. “Look at how they stand firm and brave to defend the Party, especially the President, all times each time PF fools like Mumbi Phiri, George Chilumanda, Emmanuel Chuunga, Emmanuel Sandi posts bad things about our leadership. They fight battles almost every day defending our leadership, and there is need for such people to be embraced as they have proved to be die hard UPND members.”
She argued that the leadership must get to meet these people in order to encourage them.
“I feel it is not all about jobs but also supporting their existing businesses!” stated Nundwe.
But Nundwe when contacted for comment, said she does not do politics in public as she had completely detached herself from the same.
She said she mistakenly sent the message to the group and was even apologetic about it. She said she unreservedly apologised on the group and followed that up with a phone call to Phiri and Chulumanda.
“I was talking to the SG who is a personal friend. It’s just like I send a message to you, but maybe that message by mistake it goes to somebody, does not mean that I meant to send that message to that person,” Nundwe said. “And then if you say ‘no this message has come to me,’ then I go to the person to say ‘I’m sorry this was not meant for you I unreservedly apologise for sending it to you wrongly.'”
Nundwe said she was trying to give a correct picture of what transpired.
She said she called Phiri to apologise, but that she said she would take the matter to the media.
“Really? A friend! Who is a friend?” she said. “I have apologised, even to George Chulumanda himself, the one posted it.”
She said Chulumanda phoned her and told her that such things happen as there were always things spoken in some corners, the more reason he told her he had even deleted the message he had reposted in the group.
She said she had apologised to Phiri through a phone call and on the platform.
“You have made a mistake before, you are not a saint. You get to the person to say ‘I’m sorry, this is what I did, or this is not meant for you.’ Really can you want to pursue somebody?” said Nundwe. “Haven’t you made a mistake in your life by maybe talking to somebody or sending something to the person that you don’t mean?”
