By Angela Moonga
Former PF deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri has questioned the calibre of President Hakainde Hichilema’s diplomatic appointments, for asking their own junior staff to shave their private parts and referring to fellow nationals they are supposed to serve as fools.
And Phiri said her longtime friendship with Zambia’s Ambassador to Sweden Gladys Nundwe has broken down after latter referred to her as a fool, and prayed that her job would keep her forever as they had “always looked after each other.”
Speaking with Daily Revelation, Phiri said she was shocked that a diplomat could use words such as foolish to describe fellow nationals she was supposed to be serving.
“Can she look after me if I went to Sweden when she’s thinking of me as PF? Can she? And I am a fellow woman, she can call a fellow woman, a mother, a grandmother like her, me I am somebody’s wife unlike her, how does my husband feel for a fellow woman to be calling me foolish?” Phiri said. “Me when I was a diplomat, I fought for Ngoma when he was abducted in South Sudan. Ngoma, is it Nelson Ngoma, who is in the national management committee for UPND? I fought for his release he can attest to that. Because as a diplomat, at the diplomatic school I was taught not to be partisan.”
She questioned the calibre of President Hakainde Hichilema’s diplomats who were openly showing themselves as UPND members.
“What type of diplomats are they? Ba Hakainde why are picking useless people who are embarrassing you? … What type of diplomats are these who can go and ask a local employee to shave their private parts, while Nundwe is calling us fellow citizens, honourables, former diplomats, me and (George) Chulumanda, as foolish,” Phiri said. “They are embarrassing Hakainde Hichilema who is the appointing authority, that they are appointing people with low calibre, with no diplomatic etiquette.”
Phiri said it was annoying because it seemed as though the country was short of people to appoint.
“Hakainde are you short of people to appoint?” she said.
Mumbi said Nundwe had been calling people who were close to her to plead with her for being called foolish but she had refused.
She said she was especially disappointed with Nundwe because the two have been friends for a long time, and even visited each other’s homes.
She said she had always considered Nundwe as a friend such that she never responded to anything Nundwe posted on the former members of parliament WhatsApp blog they both were members of.
“Our friendship we have had it for a long time we were both in Parliament together. Even when she was a minister me and honourable (Yamfwa) Mukanga could go to her home,” Phiri said. “Even when she stopped being a minister I could visit her home, she could visit me (too). Now for her to write like that in privacy, that’s what she thinks of me. And I thank God. It’s only God who did it for her to use her own hand to post that on a blog. For me, especially for me, I have taken it personal. Somebody I thought she’s my friend had I gone to Sweden, because I know she’s a diplomat, she looks after everyone, I could even call her, meanwhile in her heads she thinks I am a fool.”
Phiri continued: “Me she can apologise. I have refused to take her apology because I cannot insult my friend for the sake of a job. She’s on record on that blog, she has posted an apology and she has talked to other people to say they should speak to me, but I have refused because that’s what she thinks of me. Me I was thinking she’s my friend kanshi (but) her she thinks I am a fool. If she has come privately to me and spoke to me it was going to be different.”
Nundwe said she had called Phiri to apologise.
But Phiri said Nundwe did not do so.
“She can’t even call me. She knows me. She knows. She can’t even call me. She called other people to speak to me. She knows me, she can’t call me. Me I don’t take nonsense. She knows that. And I don’t beg for anybody. The only person I fear is God who created me and my husband who feeds me,” Phiri said.
Phiri reminded Nundwe not to forget that friendships were developed over time, “and you can just destroy it like that, like what she has done.”
Phiri said the friendship was now no more as she could not have a friend who through of her as a fool.
“I will be playing with my fellow foolish people like abena Chulumanda, abena Chuungu whom she has mentioned,” Phiri said. “Her she’s too wise because she has a job. And I hope that job will keep her forever. She knows what I am talking about. Because all along we have looked after each other. Ala nankalifya (She has really upset me).
Nundwe mistakenly posted a message that was meant for UPND secretary general Batuke Imenda in the WhatsApp group for former members of parliament.
In the said message she urged Imenda to consider drawing certain UPND members closer to the party and the President for being brave enough for defending the President against “fools” like Phiri and Chulumanda, among others.
