By Staff Reporters
President Hakainde Hichilema has demoted Presidential spokesperson Anthony to serve as deputy High Commissioner to Tanzania.
And Zambia’s former High Commissioner to South Africa and Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba has demanded that President Hakainde Hichilema explain if there is any disciplinary action that moved him to demote Bwalya in such huge manner, from being Special Assistant to the President for press and public relations which he said is equivalent to Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, to now serve as Deputy High Commissioner, which is equivalent to an assistant director in the Ministry.
Bwalya’s demotion, follows another redeployment of Chellah Tukuta to serve as Third Secretary (Brazil) from the original Presidential media team assembled after President Hichilema’s election into office, which also comprises media director Clayson Hamasaka, Brian Mwiinga and Frederick Misebezi.
The reason for Bwalya’s demotion is unknown, with some arguing that it was part of the President’s rearrangement strategy to improve communication from his office, while others have indicated the infighting which has been going on at State House in the media team was the cause for “redeployment.”
When contacted by Daily Revelation earlier today after information emerged that Bwalya had been “redeployed”, media director Hamasaka referred all the queries to Bwalya himself, saying “you have his number.”
“Talk to him. I am too junior to comment on those issues. Anthony is my senior,” Hamasaka said, but when told that he could not in all honesty say that he was junior than Bwalya as head of media at State House, Hamasaka laughed and insisted that Bwalya be the person to speak on the matter. “You can contact him. Look those are issues I don’t come in. contact Cabinet Office or something else, they probably might have something. I don’t know.”
Secretary to Cabinet Dr Patrick Kangwa later confirmed Bwalya’s departure from State House.
But Ambassor Mwamba said he was agonizing on what really Bwalya had done to face such demotion, wondering whether there was something serious which Bwalya committed to have been “unfairly treated” by the President in this manner.
He said he could have at least been appointed as High Commissioner which holds huge stature than deputy High Commissioner.
“It’s a huge, huge demotion. A huge, huge demotion,” said Amb Mwamba, something he feels the President must be able to tell the nation on why he has treated “our brother Anthony” this unfairly.
Amb Mwamba said the first demotion Bwalya suffered was when they simply started referring to him as presidential spokesperson, with Hamasaka assuming the headship of the media team at State House.
