HH COMPELLED TO ACT ON CHIRWA
…this is a constitutional matter, says Mwamba
By Kombe Mataka
PF deputy spokesperson Emmanuel Mwamba says anyone can be victim of social media.
He says the alleged Mary Chirwa videos, “is a constitutional matter. Issues of ethics and morals are in the Constitution. The President is compelled by the Constitution. When there is a grave allegation like this the President needs to act.”
Mwamba, a former ambassador to Ethiopia, said when he featured on Hot FM’s Red Hot breakfast programme yesterday that ladies were even more prone to social media porn scandals for material that was intended to be personal.
He said many women were explicitly exposing themselves on social media without regard of the effects that images or videos would have on future prospects, when their social lives are vetted.
“Even if she is a victim, we need to understand the circumstances and as it is in many cases we have seen actually for ladies, the ladies are victims. Usually they will do these materials and give them to a partner and the partner will… Well we are all victims in the use and abuse of social media. And my advice has always been don’t flip that phone open,” Mwamba said. “It is not necessary. As soon as you produce it will leak, whether today or in the future. Don’t produce those materials! Even for ladies when you are making those video calls don’t be naked, the guy could be recording. Just be responsible in the use of this social media because it will even affect your career, your future job prospects when you are doing a good job.”
He however insisted that the case of Drug Enforcement Commission director general Mary Chirwa was a constitutional matter that the President must act on.
“We will give him an opportunity. The police seem to be worried about the circulation. For me I would rather you go to the root where these materials produced. Who produced before and who circulated first? So they seem to be rushing to the tail end. Like I have said if it is the issue of authenticity, ZICTA can establish today if the material is authentic. I remember the case of honourable [former education minister David] Mabumba. We had such a huge debate that morning. Is the material authentic? People said ‘no it is cloning. It is a lie’. ZICTA that morning established that the material was authentic. Mr Mabumba and the president (Edgar Lungu) acted and fired Mr Mabumba immediately,” he said. “So authenticity is not an issue. It can be established today because there is available technology. So if the material is authentic, it will tell you today. It does not have to be two weeks from now. So before you go to circulation, establish authenticity and production.”
Mwamba, who vehemently denied any PF involvement in the circulation of the pornographic videos that have been linked to Chirwa, said it was disappointing for State House spokesperson Anthony Bwalya to say President Hichilema was busy and concerned with much more important things.
“If it was trivial it would not be in the Constitution. If it was trivial, the President would not be compelled to speak to national values and principles of this country to parliament. If it was trivial, we would not be here. This is a serious matter as creating jobs,” he said. “The moral and spiritual standing of the country, the integrity of the country relies on national values. You abuse that there is no country. We have a young population that needs to get these jobs and if they are destroyed by narcotic substances, will you have a workforce? You will not have. So the two go together and for us our concern, priority, is on the state and wellbeing of this country.”
Mwamba said the coincidence between the emergence of the videos and the questioning of former first lady Esther Lungu by the Drug Enforcement Commission did not matter.
“We have nothing to do with the video. All of us know how difficult it is to manipulate a video and even if you did as soon as you do some reverse applications, it will show you that this is a manipulated process. For us this is a serious matter. It does not matter when it occurred. Whether it is now, 2017, if it came out two weeks from now – for us we saw it. This is a constitutional matter. Issues of ethics and morals are in the Constitution. The President is compelled by the Constitution.”
He said the President and his appointees must uphold the values of the Constitution.
“We have for example the issue of the DPP (Lillian Shawa Siyunyi) who is being accused of certain things. Look at the speed the entire government machinery has risen against her and look at the protection they are offering to the other one whose accusations don’t portray her as virtuous and she’s been under debate since 2017. I know we don’t deal with personal matters but when it affects your office unfortunately we are compelled to discuss it,” Mwamba said.
Asked if he had seen the videos, Mwamba responded while laughing: “I will be admitting to a crime but they are widely circulated. For me it was the first time, yesterday, when the debate broke overnight, in the morning so many people were sending these videos to me like you received it. Like [Rae] Hamoonga (police spokesperson) received them. So I became aware of it yesterday. For me what brought attention was just the national values and principles and the
address by the President. He had addressed two particular matters. Morals and ethics and abuse of social media and the two are joined together.”
Mwamba said Zambians were feasting on the video.
“Zambians are watching and it is perverting morals, perverting our ethics. This government has a duty. The entire nation is looking at that video,” he said.
Mwamba said the UPND must not use the way the PF handled the Mabumba and former chiefs minister Lawrence Sichalwe case as a standard for treating Chirwa’s case.
“The PF and the former president Lungu were punished. We lost an election. Some of the things which we did were wrong. So if you allow this government to pick the mistakes that PF made …sometimes comparison with the PF is misguided,” said Mwamba. “When there is a grave allegation like this the President needs to act.”