Journalist, Kennedy Limwanya writes:
CONGRATULATIONS TO COMRADE NICHOLAS PHIRI
ELEVEN days ago, on Sunday, 5 December 2021, Nicholas Phiri was due to give his farewell news analysis on Prime Tv following his presidential appointment as permanent secretary two days earlier.
He felt he could not analyse the news alone on his last day.
So, on the morning of that day, Nicholas phoned me and requested that I appear with him on the news analysis of that evening’s Prime Tv 19:30 hours main news.
I obliged, prepared for the evening and, for the first time ever, Prime TV had two news analysts on set.
The farewell was done!
I had waited to pen my congratulatory message for Nicholas until he had been sworn in.
Yesterday, Wednesday, 15 December 2021, it came to pass.
President Hakainde Hichilema swore in Mr Nicholas Phiri as permanent secretary in charge of special duties at Cabinet Office.
Following Nicholas’ swearing in, questions were being asked on why he had been given that position as there was already another permanent secretary for special duties at Cabinet Office, Patrick Mucheleka.
My take on this question is that there is nothing strange about having more than one permanent secretary in charge of special duties at Cabinet Office.
Sometime in 2015, there were three permanent secretaries for special duties at Cabinet Office in the names of Augustine Seyuba, Bert Mushala and a woman whose name I have since forgotten.
So, congratulations to my fellow news analyst, Nicholas, on his well deserved appointment in the public service.
As executive director of a civil society organisation, Zitukule Consortium, Nicholas was a fearless human rights activist who could not shy away from challenging even the highest office in the land.
That was the very reason why, in March 2021, he fled into exile where he remained for six months and only returned to Zambia after the 12 August general elections which brought a new government in office.
The Zambian government had wanted to arrest Nicholas whose Zitukule Consortium had helped the Hatembo siblings, Pheluna and Milton, hide from state operatives who wanted them captured and murdered.
The murder would then be blamed on a certain opposition leader, thus making it impossible for him to contest the Zambian presidency.
But our plans are not God’s plans.
Because Nicholas had fled Zambia, Pheluna and Milton are still alive and no opposition leader was barred from aspiring for the presidency.
The evil conspiracy failed to work.
I just wish to end by, once again, congratulating Comrade Nicholas Phiri on his appointment.
*In the picture, Nicholas’ farewell news analysis.