Costa Mwansa takes Amb.Anthony Mukwita
…to ´the other side´
Costa Mwansa, one of the top hard-nosed Zambian interviewers and entrepreneur on the local flick scene is known for many things.
Some regard him as a gentle, ´horse-whisperer´ who treats his carefully selected unsuspecting guests well, often allowing them to pour their hearts out to him easily.
Sometimes, nevertheless, though he can be callous in his “no holds barred” interviews, leaving his guests wondering whether they should have accepted the invite.
This valentine eve, nevertheless, Costa took a softer diplomatic coat on, when he had a friendly bunter with diplomat, author and former Editor Amb. Anthony L. Mukwita.
AMB. ANTHONY MUKWITA AT A GLIMPSE
Amb. Mukwita is a man of many hats whose work credentials like a litany of gold run from being a journalist, a newspaper CEO, a World Bank Investigative Journalism award winning fellow and a consummate diplomat whose last diplomatic assignment was an apex in Berlin, Germany.
Amb. Mukwita was one of the few Zambians tapped by President Edgar Lungu as Ambassador Extra-Ordinary and Plenipotentiary to Germany, the largest economic powerhouse in the EU and the 4th largest globally. He was the youngest to man the seat since Zambia opened up diplomatic relations with Germany long before the Berlin Wall fell according to records.
Here below is how Costa in his widely followed signature Sunday programme “Costa the other Side” walked Amb. Mukwita down his past career path, part of which Costa and the Ambassador have personally shared in the ´close knit´ Zambian media fraternity.
COSTA PLACES AMB MUKWITA ON POLITICS
Costa, a creature of politics by virtue of his calling and entrepreneurship did one cardinal thing that has alluded many in the past—he distanced Amb. Mukwita from a ´day to day´ political creature.
“He (Mukwita) is a scribe, an Editor and a diplomat. Ihave often times told my producers and other people that also he likes to scribe (write) politics, he is not a politician,” Costa said.
Amb. Mukwita thanked Costa for the gracious observation by giving an example of despite him not being inclined to mainstream politics, many things in the daily lives of Zambians such as food, shelter, schools etc were politics.
“But I try to steer clear away from that (politics) which is why even when I served our country abroad, I discussed with you Costa the importance of moving heavy cargo from the roads onto rail tracks, job creation and poverty reduction etc. I never named political names or political parties…I feel we gain more discussing issues than political identities,” Amb Mukwita said.
COSTA TRACES AMB: MUKWITA ON FAMILY ROOTS AND ROUTES
“I am aware that your mother in fact your father too were from the teaching profession how did that impact who you are today as a diplomat, media person and author,” said Costa.
Ambassador Mukwita said, “my upbringing from a family that put education at the center of everything made me whom I am today and perhaps whom I will become in future because of the premium my parents —Elizabeth and Frederick Mukwita—placed on education.”
Ambassador Mukwita has two Masters degrees and various other advanced qualifications aside from being a published author of President Edgar Lungu, which is stocked in Ivy League universities in the United States and beyond published in January 2017 and available locally in Bookworld.
AMB. GROWING UP IN THE 70s ON COSTA
The early 70s are days President Kenneth Kaunda escalated his “One Zambia One Nation” motto so I grew up in Mansa, Luapula, attending Mutende primary school and Ituna primary in Kasama before we finally moved to Livingstone.
Because of the cross country living, “things like tribe have never been an issue to me. In class in Mansa and Kasama, I did the oral reading for the class, books like Chekesoni aingila ubusoja, Musalu walipesamba, uwauma nafyala etc. One Zambia One nation is cardinal to me. I don’t even have a Lozi friend apart from my boys and spouse who unintentionally turns out to be half Tonga half Lozi.”
“I also recall growing up, both mother and father telling us, with my siblings (whom I love dearly) and I that the people that worked in our house “are NOT your workers.”
They worked for our parents and deserved respect always. I will respect everyone from janitor to a gardener up to now. I make it a point to know the name of the waiter.
COSTA STEERS AMB MUKWITA TO JOURNALISM AND DIPLOMACY
“Lets talk about you cutting your teeth in the media, _there are “cliques” like Jowie Mwiinga, Edem Djokotoe, Emmanuel Mwamba etc, enlighten us?” asked Costa.
At this point Ambassador Mukwita restate the names in the media fraternity that had left an indelible mark on him such ´super columnist´ Jowie Mwiinga, Joe Chilaizya aka China Zaza, whose pen name cannot be reprinted, Joe Mukela, Edem Djokotoe, Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba and Kellys Kaunda and others such as Regina Jere now based in UK and others back home such as Zarina Geelo, Mary Mbewe and Beauty Lupiya to mention but a few.
It was a long short interview in the usual Costa free-style where Ambassador Mukwita who also saved as CDA in Sweden before becoming Ambassador German with extra accreditation to Austria, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovak and Slovenia returned home after power moved from President Edgar Lungu to the current President Hakainde Hichilema.
Ambassador Mukwita did not miss out a special mention of Ambassador Frank Mutubila, known by many in the broadcasting fraternity as the last of the best, after holding the mic for over 50 years and still standing. Mazel Tov Uncle Frank and buddies such as Muleya Mwananyanda at AI in Johannesburg.
COSTA ON AMBASADOR MUKWITA EXILE TO AUSTRALIA
Perhaps the light moment in the in interview came at the tail end when Costa cajoled Ambassador Mukwita to speak about how once he was an enemy of the state facing sedition charges under President Levy Mwanwasa and how he was an A student at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Western Australia and 90pc completion at HFU in Berlin. Below is the full interview recorded live on Valentine eve.
Three names will come out prominently in this missive, Elaine, Lubinda and Lushomo. The still point to my turning world.
The end quote is, “Life is a story, make yours a Best-seller,”–Rebak.
Source: Costa on the Other Side with Amb. Anthony Mukwita, 15th February 2022 LUSAK, DIAMONDTV.