Apologise, British envoy told

British High Commissioner Fergus CochraneDyet should publicly apologize to Government and the people of Zambia for claiming that £2.762 million meant for the social cash transfer was misused when the money is still intact in the ZANACO account, Zambian DNA spokesperson Spuki Mulemwa has demanded’. Mr Mulemwa said the British diplomat should also render a written apology to Government for breaching diplomatic etiquette and tarnishing the country‘s image by making malicious allegations against Lusaka. In a statement, Mr Mulemwa said his party was deeply saddened that the British diplomat has lamentably failed to prove his claims of fraud and corruption. “We advise the British diplomat and others accredited to Zambia to observe diplomatic etiquette by not rushing to issue alarming statements that would create public perception that the Zambian Government ‘stinks’ of corruption when in fact not, “Further, we are concerned with foreign diplomats who seem to be opposition slanted in both their attitude and language as this does not auger well with their diplomatic status,” Mr Mulemwa said. He charged that the British diplomat’s careless talk cannot pass without comment as it has a negative impact on the country’s economy. “We expect the British diplomat and any other foreign diplomat to not only tone down on their crude talk, avoid peddling lies about Government, respect Government leaders, but also respect the country’s sovereignty, “We are alive to the fact that the British diplomat and other foreign diplomats represent their respective Governments’ interests to the Zambian Government, and not their selfish personal interests,” he said. Meanwhile, government has written to the British government over its intentions to pay back the £2.7 million which was meant for beneficiaries under the Social Cash transfer. The money has remained unutilized in a ZANACO bank account. According to Special Assistant to the President for Press and Relations Amos Chanda, Ministry of Community Development Permanent Secretary Liya Mutale was already in touch with the Department for International Development -DFIDover the matter. Mr. Chanda said in New York that DFID had demanded for the money they offered to Zambia for social protection and government was obliged to give it back. He said the Zambian government and their British counterparts had been holding talks over their future joint financing agreement for the social cash transfer. Mr Chanda however explained that seven other major donors were still financing the social cash transfer. Yesterday, Foreign Affairs Minister Joe Malanji held bilateral talks with the British government officials to discuss a wide range of activities in New York.