By Mubanga Mubanga
Citizens First (CF) leader Harry Kalaba’ s irrational support for Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s badmouthing of Zambia to Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown his ignorance on matters of international relations and statesmanship.
In a statement, former special assistant to the President for Policy & Project Implementation & Monitoring Jack Kalala stated that the support that Kalaba gave to Mnangagwa, showed how ignorant he was on matters of international relations and statesmanship.
He also stated that Mnangagwa’s badmouthing of President Hakainde Hichilema was a regrettable diplomatic faux pas.
“One wonders whether Mr. Kalaba as former Minister of Foreign Affairs and a person aspiring Republican president, had, before coming up with his statement, seriously reflected on president Mnangagwa’s undiplomatic and un-states-man-like conduct. Most probably he had and still proceeded to issue an irrational statement, then he has just exposed his superficial knowledge and understanding of matters of statesmanship and indeed International relations,” Kalala stated.
“Mr Kalaba’s myopic statement goes to show how less informed he is on national affairs, otherwise he would have known the current status of Zambia’s relations with Russia, China, and European Union and the USA. It is no brainer to know Zambia’s diplomatic relationship with the concerned countries is excellent. It is this reason that even the debt restructuring has been possible,” he stated.
Kalala claimed that Russia did not agree with the position taken by Mnangagwa, the more reason he claimed they “leaked” the video which was a private conversation between two presidents.
“It should be stated that the badmouthing of president HH was regrettable diplomatic faux pas for him. lt was extremely unbecoming and cheap for him to talk ill of a fellow President to another President while begging for help. The fact that Russia leaked the video of the private conversation goes to show that show that president Putin (Vladimir Putin Russian president) did not agree with president Mnangagwa’s distasteful and undesirable conduct. There is certainly no need for badmouthing of Zambia and president Hichilema,” stated Kalala. “The fact that the video of a private official meeting was released to the world is a mark that even President Putin wasn’t impressed by his guest’s imprudent gossiping. The release of the video was a way to show disgust and expose president Mnangagwa’s indecent and deplorable behavior.”
