Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba Wrote;
So it appears they have banned, and cancelled Liberal Party President, and 2026 Presidential Candidate, Xavier Franklin Chungu.
Both Millenium TV and ZedPodcast have been ordered to cancel Chungu and I understand threatened and promised with charges of espionage, sedition and treason if they aired or distributed the recorded interviews with Mr. Chungu.
This is totally unacceptable.
Chungu left his post as Director General in 2001(25years ago).
I dont know what people are afraid of.
Anyway, this is because many are NOT students of history.
Take note that Xavier Chungu provided bombshell testimony in January 2003 (two years after he left his office) in his evidence in chief, during the landmark presidential election petition of Anderson Mazoka Vs Levy Mwanawasa.
Serving as the former Director General of the Zambia State Intelligence Service (ZSIS) under former President Frederick Chiluba, Chungu was subpoenaed as a key witness by the opposition petitioners.
His testimony directly implicated the state apparatus and President Levy Mwanawasa in severe electoral corruption and the misuse of public funds.
So any apprehension, statement of facts or fears were tested then.
In that testimony, Chungu also hinted that he will join politics and hoped to lead Zambia one day.
So what’s the fuss all about?
Besides, Chungu is now a politician discussing the poor state of the country and his proposed solutions.
His role as Director General merely informs his understanding of the country.
Several notable political leaders have transitioned directly from directing state intelligence agencies to becoming the head of state or head of government of their respective countries.
Prominent examples include:
●Vladimir Putin (Russia): Putin served as the Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB)—the principal successor to the KGB—from 1998 to 1999. He became acting President of Russia in late 1999 and has served as President or Prime Minister ever since.
●George H.W. Bush (United States): Before his political rise to the presidency, Bush served as the 11th Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), heading the CIA from 1976 to 1977. He remains the only US President to have previously led the agency.
●Klaus Iohannis (Romania): Iohannis became the President of Romania in 2014. Before his presidency, he served as the Chairman of the Supreme Council of National Defense, which oversees the country’s intelligence operations.
●Yury Andropov (Soviet Union): Andropov served as the highly influential Chairman of the KGB from 1967 to 1982, before eventually becoming the General Secretary of the Communist Party and de facto head of state of the Soviet Union from 1982 until his death in 1984.
●Michel Aoun (Lebanon): Prior to serving as the President of Lebanon from 2016 to 2022, Aoun held various security and intelligence roles, including director of military operations during the Lebanese Civil War.
●Park Chung-hee (South Korea): After leading a military coup, Park served as the Chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction in 1961, effectively taking charge of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) before formally serving as the President of South Korea from 1963 to 1979.
Below is the Notice from ZEDPODCAST
That Podcast Can’t Podcast Former Spy Chief
Due to circumstances beyond our control, the podcast episode with the former Director General of the Zambia Security Intelligence Service, Mr Xavier Chungu, will not be broadcast at ALL as earlier advertised.
We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you all for making us Zambias premier podcast.
We will post a replacement episode later this week. Thanks for your support always.
But none of the named people went public with what would be considered state secretes. None of the said people plundered state fund or at least names in using their position to access and abuse state resources as Fred Mmembe published in the Weekly post in the 1990s.
Mwamba your counter part Chomba Kaoma gives an insigtful take on what was spoken about in the podcast. Where is your sense of patriotism? We all have different views and opinions. In doing so, lets act do and speak well for the country. The place that raised us. The place our children and grand children will live after we are gone. Dont burn down the roof over your head so to Mr. Mwamba. There certain lines that one should never cross.
But none of the named people went public with what would be considered state secretes. None of the said people plundered state fund or at least names in using their position to access and abuse state resources as Fred Mmembe published in the Weekly post in the 1990s.
Mwamba your counter part Chomba Kaoma gives an insigtful take on what was spoken about in the podcast. Where is your sense of patriotism? We all have different views and opinions. In doing so, lets act do and speak well for the country. The place that raised us. The place our children and grand children will live after we are gone. Dont burn down the roof over your head so to Mr. Mwamba. There certain lines that one should never cross.