JOSEPH MWENDA OR ANTHONY BWALYA SHOULD TAKE OVER AS STATE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON – MUSAMBA.
UPND UK-based supporter Barbrah Musamba Chama has called for a major shake-up of the State House media team, suggesting that either Joseph Mwenda or Anthony Bwalya should take up the spokesperson role for President Hakainde Hichilema.
Musamba argues that the political environment has changed and that the growing wave of what she describes as falsehoods and opposition propaganda requires more than carefully drafted written statements.
According to Musamba, State House needs a communicator who can quickly, confidently and effectively articulate the government’s position and respond to allegations before they gain traction in the public domain.
She has criticised the current State House media team, describing it as a liability that is failing to adequately counter what she says is misinformation being peddled by the opposition.
Musamba believes either Mwenda or Bwalya would bring the energy, communication skills and political sharpness needed to strengthen the President’s public communication strategy.
This is the second time Musamba Chama has called for changes within the State House media team, as she pushes for what she believes could help strengthen UPND’s communication machinery and contribute to its electoral prospects.
Her latest remarks are likely to reignite debate within the ruling party over who should be at the forefront of defending and explaining the President’s policies ahead of the next political battle.
– Zambian Watch News.
I agree with the need for changes at that level. Anthony is good but there is cloud over his head which has not been adequately cleared. As good as he is, he maybe be a soft sport for the opposition and eventually a liability towards the anti-graft crusade. We don’t want to spent time and energy justifying people’s moral standing, that’s their own battle to fight. What we want is clean action moving forward at full speed ahead. As for Joseph Mwenda, I don’t know him, so I won’t comment.
I support the call for a reorganization of the State House media team. I have seen some names being proposed as potential candidates to take over this team. I have followed Barbara’s posts, and I am convinced that she is genuinely trying to help HH succeed and has good intentions. She floated two names for consideration, and I assume that the president knows these two gentlemen as well.
I saw Anthony Bwalya in 2021 alongside Mubita Nawa; whenever I saw one of them, the other was usually nearby. I have never heard of Joseph Mwenda before. I would have unreservedly backed Anthony Bwalya based on my trust in Barbara, but the comment made by Chester above suggests that there may be aspects of Anthony’s background that I am not aware of. I have no doubt that the president has seen your post Barbra, and if he decides to pick another person, it’s only because he knows them better than we do.
The right person would have been Anthony Bwalya. But as alluded above by Chester the baggage that Anthony is carrying on his shoulders is hard to ignore. HH is at pains not to have him back at state house, but then he also realises he would be playing in the opposition’s hands. As for Joseph Mwenda, I have not heard about him.
It is beyond dispute that the media team both at presidential and party level failed miserably. They could not keep up with the well oiled propaganda machinery of the “PF” surrogates.
The President and UPND did a great job lifting our country from the murky waters PF left it in. However, there was no one competent enough to counter the ceaseless propaganda churned by the likes of Mr. Emmanuel “Goebbels” Mwamba et al.
Definitely, there is urgent need to overhaul the Presidential and UPND media teams.