UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF ANTHONY BWALYA IN THE PRESIDENCY

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Anthony Bwalya
Anthony Bwalya

UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE OF ANTHONY BWALYA IN THE PRESIDENCY

CERTAIN sections of society, particularly the opposition, have created a narrative that Anthony Bwalya, President Hakainde Hichilema’s Spokesperson is sidelined or not utilized by the President.

The claim that the fact that Anthony does not accompany the President on some occasions shows that he is being sidelined. Now, this is far from the truth. What the opposition, particularly the Patriotic Front need to understand is that their style of running affairs when they were in government or indeed the style of any other Presidency preceding theirs will not necessarily be the way the Hichilema administration will do things.

Let’s take the fallen Edgar Lungu administration for example. The Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations (the actual title of the position Anthony occupies) to Lungu at the time, Amos Chanda, was seen being a part of the Presidential entourage on most occasions at the time. While there is no law or requirement that stipulates that the spokesman must be part of the Presidential entourage, it is up to the President and his handlers to decide on who to carry along. That is one angle.

The other angle is that Lungu, being the person he was/is (media shy and not articulate) required someone to speak for him or on his behalf on most occasions for whatever reason.

President Hichilema on the other hand is not that man. He has proven to everyone that he understands the assignment and the issues going around. He has shown that he is able to articulate policy issues and indeed any other issue pertaining to governance of the country. So he does not need anyone necessarily to speak to the media for him as he is well capable of doing that by himself.

Anthony Bwalya is the Advisor to the President on Press and Public Relations. His job is just that, to handle issues pertaining to the Presidents image and interfacing with the media to disseminate information from State House and the President. And Anthony, being the man that he is has chosen his own style of doing things by going to media houses, either by invitation or by his own volition to explain issues to citizens pertaining to the President and general issues on governance and the economy, of course with the authority of the President.

The actual job of covering the President falls squarely on Anthony’s juniors who work under him. The State House media team which Anthony is the head of do the running around to ensure that every moment of the President is documented. These people include the Chief Analyst, Press Analysts, the Presidential Photographer, Videographers among others. With the Hichilema administration, a new role in the State House Press Unit was created and this post is called State House Media Director headed by Clayson Hamasaka. His role obviously as a technocrat who is well versed in media and journalism is to work hand in hand with Anthony (Anthony is not journalist or media practitioner by profession) to ensure that what needs to be done in as far as Press and Public Relations is done accordingly.

Credit: Citizen & Globe

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