By Patson Chilemba
I would have been surprised if Laura Miti was not disappointed with my appointment, says Ministry of Information media director Thabo Kawana.
Asked by Daily Revelation media on the fact that people like activist Laura Miti who has been critical of Kawana during the time he served as media director was also surprised that he was now Information permanent secretary, Kawana said he expected the criticism from Miti.
“I would have been surprised if Laura Miti was not disappointed (by my appointment). I am trying hard not to use the word harsh. I would be surprised if she was not disappointed,” Kawana said. “But I do not live for Laura Miti. And therefore I have a job to do to help the people of Zambia, to help my President, the person they gave the mandate to govern. Through his mandate he chooses people he’s going to work with to help him serve the people of Zambia.”
He said Miti was entitled to her own opinion, however, saying that his focus was on the role he had been given, which was to serve his minister and supervise his directors.
“Mine is eyes on the ball,” Kawana said.
He said the President, whom he referred to as the coach had made changes, bringing in “two new players”, saying he has been removed from his position as a “striker” to become a “defender” with there being a new striker in Mweetwa and the new midfielder in new media director Kapata.
Kawana said in a “winning team” such as the UPND administration a defender will not be seen much but the striker and midfielder, adding that all the elements work together to win games.
Kawana said his job was now to stay in the background and prepare his boss, information minister Cornelius Mweetwa about what is said in public, and parliament and attending to other official matters.
He said if he were in the bank, he could be said as someone who has been removed from the till to the back office, saying his role now was now purely technocrat and his voice will not be heard as much
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