ABOUT MR. ANTHONY BWALYA – THE UNPOPULAR OPINION
By Sean Tembo – PeP President
1. So yesterday the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr. Anthony Bwalya was re-assigned to become Zambia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Tanzania and apparently this created a social media storm. I received numerous media inquiries soliciting my comment on the matter and l declined all of them, until late in the evening when l got irritated by the incessant requests for comment, and decided to issue a comment anyway!
2. Let me be truthful with you. As an opposition leader, l actually enjoy condemning the New Dawn administration. I spend most of my time scrutinizing their actions and words looking for faults, and when l find those faults, l enjoy amplifying them and then repeating them and then further amplifying them. It is a job that l derive alot of pleasure doing because l have always held a very low opinion of President Hakainde Hichilema and his capacity to turnaround the fortunes of our country.
3. But on this matter of the re-assignment of Mr. Anthony Bwalya, l am sorry to say l do not share the popular opinions currently being peddled around. The most popular opinion on the matter is that Mr. Anthony Bwalya was used by President Hakainde Hichilema to create a semblance of a regionally balanced State House team, and that just like the former Presidential Photographer; Chellah Tukuta, he will be replaced by someone from one of the Zambezi Provinces. I do not share this popular opinion for the simple reason that Mr. Anthony Bwalya’s replacement has not yet been announced and it is wrong to speculate. What if he is replaced by another Bemba or an Easterner? Will it not be embarrassing to those who were prematurely peddling this line of thought?
4. The other popular opinion that is making the rounds is that Mr. Anthony Bwalya has been demoted because the position of Presidential Spokesperson is at the level of Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, while that of Deputy High Commissioner is equivalent to that of Assistant Director, which is significantly junior. My question is; so what? If we are going to hold President Hakainde Hichilema accountable for his performance or lack thereof, we need to give him the leeway to hire, fire, demote and promote as he sees fit. It is not for us to dictate who should be promoted or demoted, fired or hired.
5. But perhaps the more pertinent question is whether Mr. Anthony Bwalya was good at his job? I think not. Just like the majority of President Hakainde Hichilema’s appointments, it was based on a perceived debt that he acquired from individuals who contributed to his struggles during the time that he was in opposition. In my view, this is a misconception because the team you need to do politics while you are in opposition may not necessarily be suitable for you to run a government when you ascend to power.
6. The job of Presidential Spokesperson is an exceedingly important one to any administration, because you are the face of the presidency. My idea of an appropriate Presidential Spokesperson is someone who does not have a public life of their own, and who’s only public life is that of being a Spokesperson to the President. Otherwise there is an inherent risk of undermining the presidency in ways that are unknown and unseen. That is why l believed it was a good move when then President Lungu dropped the outspoken Amos Chanda and replaced him with the quieter and reserved Isaac Chipampe, although it was a bit too late when the damage to the presidency was already done.
7. If the people of Zambia are gracious enough to make me their President one day, my idea of a Presidential Spokesperson is someone who is not going to be in the public domain for any other purpose or reason other than the specific business of the presidency. And what is that? You may ask. Well, when you are a Spokesperson to an individual, it is different to when you are a Spokesperson to an institution or organization. Therefore, the scope of what a Presidential Spokesperson can talk about is different to the scope of what a State House Media Director or a Chief Government Spokesperson can talk about. A State House Media Director or Chief Government Spokesperson can give his or her own opinion and position on issues, whereas a Presidential Spokesperson cannot.
8. A Presidential Spokesperson is only supposed to give the exact position of the President on a particular matter or matters, in a written statement using the exact words approved by the President. They are not supposed to paraphrase or expand or explain the President’s statement in greater detail, otherwise they risk misrepresenting the President. That is why l was alarmed when l saw Mr. Anthony Bwalya galavanting from one media house to another, articulating issues, giving his opinions and taking phone calls from callers. Once you do that, then you are no longer the face and mouth of the President. You are your own face and mouth.
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SET 26.01.2023