Laura Miti responds to Sishuwa Sishuwa

Laura Miti responds to Sishuwa Sishuwa

Senior academic, Dr Sishuwa Sishuwa, has once again put on display his penchant for deeply troubling personal attacks on those he happens to disagree with.

So, Sishuwa criticises UNZA lecturer and former ACC Board Member, Dr O’Brien Kaaba, for entering a consent judgement in the matter in which  Solicitor General, Marshal Muchende, had sued him for suggesting that he is corrupt.

It is Sishuwa’s view that, in  appending his signature to the judgement, Dr Kaaba gave in to pressure from power holders. He labels him a coward who wants to remain on the right side of job opportunities. Vicious claim, but hey.

The point is Sishuwa is a commentator on public interest issues and, therefore, well within his right to express his unhappiness with the way a matter of public interest has played out. It is his role to contribute to the public discourse and ignite debate.

Where things become problematic is where he gratutiously accuses O’Brien of supporting the withdrawal of the case for tribal reasons. With no justification, other than that Dr Kaaba, Solicitor Muchende and President Hichilema are all Tonga, he makes that very insulting assertion.

Again, I ask why? Why go there? Why suggest your colleague, your academic and professional equal has made a major decision based on such an unthinking consideration like tribe. Why want to be in the company of base loudmouths like Chishimba Kambwili by advancing uncalled for hateful speech?

This slur, unfortunately, comes not long after Sishuwa termed O’Brien a praise singer.

Now, it can’t be that Sishuwa is bereft of substantive arguments against the decision O’Brien has made. It is that the Stellenbosch lecturer has this inexicable way of articulating hinself in ways that go against what one would expect from an individual with his expansive intellect, education and exposure. One whose whole profession is predicated on evidenced, substantiated and objective argument.

So, yes, these personal attacks, as well as Sishuwa’s taste for huge unevidenced claims that he does not apologise for, when proved unfounded, is something he needs to work on.

I will end with a small amusing fact. When Sishuwa sued Emmanuel Mwamba for defamation, he entered a consent judgement with him, rather than let the case play out in court.