Lt Gen Sikazwe heads to Turkey, asked to help end Ukraine war
By Fanny Kalonda
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has appointed former army commander Lieutenant General William Sikazwe as Ambassador designate to Turkey.
Others are former Livingstone Central UPND member of parliament Mathews Jere to head the mission in Tanzania while former Katombora UPND member of parliament Derrick Livune becomes Ambassador to Zimbabwe.
Swearing the trio at State House yesterday, President Hichilema asked Lt Gen Sikazwe to help resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
He said Zambia wants to be part of the solution as the country does not support war stressing that “instability anywhere is instability everywhere”.
“The specific assignments that have been accorded to you by the Zambian people, Ambassador to Turkey General Sikazwe, and honourable Jere to be High Commissioner in Tanzania, and Hon Livune to be Ambassador in Zimbabwe next door. Being an ambassador in Turkey is an important role. It is a rare opportunity to serve the people of Zambia. General Sikazwe, you have been in public service for a long time. I think you joined as a young person. You see service and the meaning of service to the people. You have been in harms’ way before but you continue to offer your service to the people. Turkey is very important nation you are going to. Its geo-position. Asia, Europe, it’s been a route to deal with migration from Asia or Middle East into Europe,” he said.
“And Turkey was involved in various agreements to help stabilise that region. And you are going to a country which has made a lot of economic strides, in agriculture, in construction, infrastructure. Just a few weeks ago we found Turkish businesses working in Tanzania. I think some people are not aware of the advances that Turkey has made and we ourselves are working on continuing the relationship with Turkey in a manner that will enhance the benefits that Zambians derive from there and you will be sitting at the centre of that. You will be going to Turkey when the Ukraine-Russia war is ragging. Loss of human life, property but also trade. The challenges that have arisen, arising, from that war are many. In addition to the loss of life and property is the increase to crucial commodity prices such as food, petroleum, fertilizer. So your going there is to contribute to the part of the solution. Zambia wants to be part of the solution. We don’t support war. We have said it before, instability anywhere is instability everywhere. We had evacuated a lot of our citizens there and it costs money which was never budgeted for. It’s the same example of how conflicts create problems. So, now we have to deal with increased fuel prices almost making it difficult for us to manage our macro variables because of the cost push on the fuel. The time is very hard to keep the cost manageable. So as you go there, diplomats, let us engage and work with foreign affairs minister and work with the government here to ensure that we can assist in whatever small way in bring that conflict to an end like yesterday. So that we can retain to normal within those areas and also the negative impacts or impact of the war can be ameliorated.”
President Hichilema asked Lt Gen Sikazwe to deal with the corruption at Zambia’s embassy in Turkey.
He said the diplomat was well selected because of such issues adding that the country needs strong people in such places.
“You are aware right now that our embassy in Turkey, there, became a conduit for corruption. You are very much aware of that and we would like that to come to an end and to facilitate so support Ministry of Foreign Affairs to spot the oversight institutions here whatever work they need to do in there,” he said. “The separation must always be there. Public resources must always serve the public and private resources, private. I thought I should say these things to you and the reason you are going there. You were well selected remember because of those issues. We need a strong person. A person who understands the meaning of service to citizens. A person who was going through difficulties, you are one. You will do well there, keep in touch.”
On Jere, he urged him to ensure trade and investment come in the country.
He urged him to relate with Tanzanians in the manner that would add value to citizens adding that the one-stop boarder post at Nakonde is realised.
“Tanzania is very important to us. I was there not long. We want to revive, modernise the TAZARA. The dilapidation, years of service from the seventies, remember? So it is going through challenges. TAZAMA pipeline is going through challenges. We are going at a time we are converting the TAZAMA pipeline from carrying the feedstock to carrying finished products, petroleum products. So your involvement in those issues will be very important,” he said.
On Livune, President Hichilema reminded him of economic diplomacy.
“Politics is important, relationships are very important. The more you have economic diplomacy, it will bring investment, it will actually bring investments here. There are issues there. I don’t want to return to issues legacy issues of Zambia and Zimbabwe. People cross those boarders sometimes some lose lives. We want to stabilise that situation. We are one family, Zambia and Zimbabwe,” said President Hichilema. “The message is to go out and to serve the people of Zambia and that is our duty.”