By Daily Revelation Correspondent
Ministry of Information permanent secretary Thabo Kawana and opposition leader Chishala Kateka have been involved in sharp disagreements over Angela Cifire’s remarks that public appointments are now skewed towards bantu botatwe.
The disagreements emanated from former Health minister Angela Cifire’s cries about the appointments to public positions skewing towards bantu botatwe, from the Daily Revelation story, whose front page image quoting her was shared
in the whatsapp group Dyanamic Analysis Zambia, where Kawana, Kateka and Cifire herself are group members.
Following the sharing, the arguments emerged with Kawana going after Cifire if she was happy with the list showing the overwhelming tribal appointments of people hailing from the northern Bemba speaking provinces and Eastern province in former president Edgar Lungu’s administration.
“So former MP and Minister in MMD govt @Angela Cifire was ok with the appointments in yellow and not the current appointments?” Kawana said. “What is surprising Hon is that every time someone from the so called Zambezi regions is appointed, it becomes tribal appointment. But if any other is appointed, it is dead quiet and the silence is loud. It’s like certain pipo (people) are ready to comment only if pipo from certain tribes are appointed.”
Kawana argued that the people President Hichilema was appointing are Zambians.
“Unfortunately for all the tribalists, this President appoints Zambians and not tribes or regions,” Kawana said. “We should desist from this tribal hegemony and talk which is a political card for failed politicians and from where I am standing, you Hon Chifire is not a failed politician. Let us all guard our National Unity jealousy and not allow failed politicians to divide our country. I know the topic we are looking at is the same, I am however not sure if the page is the same.”
But Kateka told Kawana that the UPND which campaigned on uniting the country could not use tribalism to fight tribalism.
“You can’t fight this tribalism with your own tribalism guys. That is why we voted them out!!! When will learn that this or indeed the other poor performance of the UPND is not justified by the poor performance of the PF? That is where you getting it wrong,” Kateka stated. “Maybe let me make it simpler for you. If PF was getting 1/10 then UPND get 1.5/10 do you expect us to clap for you? In fact, as far as Zambians on the ground are concerned you are currently at 0.5/10. Stop pointing fingers and just do the right thing.”
But some contributor countered Kateka’s argument, arguing, “It’s alright. Maybe she was a beneficiary.”
But Kateka stood her ground, arguing that this was exactly what the nation was trying to cure.
“You and I know that when there’s talk over an issue, take a step and listen carefully. We are on the same page and we were together to correct the equation,” Kateka said, with Kawana responding: “Ine ku funa ku yanka manje (I wanted to answer but) I have just received a call from my secretary who emphatically said “good morning PS”…..then I got reminded that I am a civil servant.”
But he countered Kateka’s claim that the UPND was only scoring 0.5 out of 10, by pointing to the recent by-election results where the UPND walloped the opposition.
“Good morning Madam Kateka, kaya tuma results twama by-elections are saying 0.5/10 as a matter of fact by Zambians?” he wrote. “Trust me that assumption of saying that as far as Zambians on the ground are concerned the score is at 0.5/10 is incorrect and therefore misleading just like that opinion poll by the Political Science Association of Zambia. It would be helpful if you can substantiate that assumption by giving us the specific KPIs at play. I come in peace.”
But Kateka challenged Kawana to respond to the issue at hand.
“You people in UPND always sidestep an issue when you are confronted head on. If you think those by elections are a true reflection – then continue clapping for yourselves,” Kateka stated. “Respond to the issue of the perceived tribalism raised.”
Kawana, maintaining his stance, stating that “information on his desk regarding Bally’s criteria for appointments was very simple and straight forward.
“1. One must be a Zambian, 2. One must be qualified; and 3. One must be competent. So w(h)ere is all this tribal talk coming from?” Kawana asked.
“In fact, I am very happy with Mr Muleya’s appointment at IDC. Kaili he is Bemba not so? No he is Tonga. He is very qualified….. no beef there. What Hon Chifire was pointing to is the fact that there are a lot of qualified people ALL OVER ZAMBIA,” Kateka retorted.
But Kawana cheekily drawing the word “perceived” from Kateka, stating that, that was the word of the day.
“I will pass over debating this issue or politics in general as you know I am now a civil servant proper, but suffice to state that yourself and HHH (reference to Highvie Hambulo Hamududu) remain my favourite opposition leaders of sanity,” he stated.
But Kateka indicated that her arguments against tribalism have not started during the UPND administration because she also rejected a board position at Bank of Zambia after she noticed that then president Michael Sata was making tribal appointments.
“Do you really want me to go there? Well, continue with this path. We have been here before. Just for your info. I was not happy with ba Sata’s appointments because they were something like HH’s appointments. I am Bemba and was ashamed that only people from that region were being blatantly appointed to positions and told my friends that if I was appointed, I would not accept,” Kateka stated. “I got my chance when asked to sit on the Bank of Zambia Board. I declined. No people, let us rise above this nation disuniting tendency.”
But another blogger referred back to the “yellow list” showing tribal appointments in Lungu’s administration to which Cifire chipped in.
“No my dear, simply saying what was wrong is again wrong,” argued cifire.
