By Kellys Kaunda
FIELD RUWE’S SECOND INSTALMENT DOUBLES-DOWN ON HIS EARLIER ARTICLE ON FRANK MUTUBILA
The man makes no apologies. Instead, he justifies whatever he wrote.
He even shares the methodology he employed in classifying those that weighed in on the subject. .
I suspect, as the case was with his first article, this too may receive generous amounts of attention.
Why? Because the subject is Frank Mutubila. And what is it about Frank Mutubila? He’s a public figure.
And public figures receive attention for who and what they are. Members of the public always want to know more about them.
Who has never been curious about television personalities in Zambia? We all have been.
We have been curious about their personal lives – their marital status, educational background, their networth, where they socialize from, who their friends are, and much more.
These questions have been whispered about Frank Mutubila for many years including one pet peeve popular with him, ‘You know ah, you know ah’.
Of all the television personalities, this pet peeve is only unique to him.
A towering figure like Frank Mutubila would naturally be a point of reference by lecturers in media studies because they shape the industry.
Their status has become so prominent even the tools of analysis regarding who they are will be correspondingly incisive.
They are like a PhD thesis being evaluated – it’s never a comfortable experience for candidates.
If the latter were given a ‘Swedish massage’, by those that sit to decide whether they should be granted or not, PhD’s would lose their value.
In other words, society needs individuals like Field Ruwe who will break ranks and refuse political correctness, those that will say in public what others only whisper about in private.
The reaction Frank gave in a few lines recently is very instructive. He said he was going to engage his “friend” when this was over. Nothing more, nothing less.
When you know your public status, you accept that attention will be turned onto you. And this can be very uncomfortable.
Remember Dora Siliya mentioned him in her book linking him to the age group of girls he allegedly liked – something others only whispered about in the corridors of mass media complex.
And to this, he responded graciously. That’s what you do when you have reached the pinnacle of your profession and age.
From your mistakes and from your achievements, the younger generation will learn.
It would be good if Mr. Mutubila doesnot respond to Dr. Ruwe’s articles. It is not worth his time. To what end?
Surely, he has more important issues to attend to than what people think of him. He can’t change what Dr. Ruwe thinks of him.