Law enforcement agencies must take interest in Nevers Mumba’s DRC trip
Dear Editor.
WHENEVER citizens of Zambia travel abroad, they carry the image of Zambia on their shoulders thus any scandal that their name is associated with is piled on the nation.
The responsibility is even greater to former Government officials and opposition leaders who have a sizeable following in Zambia.
This means any misconduct will consequently drag the name of the nation into ridicule.
We have reflected on the misfortune that our former Republican Vice President and Ambassador Dr. Nevers Sekwila Mumba found himself in during his incognito visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Dr. Mumba has not explained whether he engaged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs back home prior to his travel.
This is important for the higher ranking former Government officials of his stature.
We do not take pleasure in seeing our fellow nationals being persecuted by a foreign nation especially a person who once rendered service to our nation.
Dr. Mumba claimed he was on a “business trip” yet other media reports suggests otherwise.
However, we have misgivings on this
reckless choice of destination.
We find it extremely intolerant for a well enlightened individual like Dr. Mumba to risk the security of the nation by visiting a war tone country especially that he was implicated in threatening the existence of the Government of the sovereign state and leading to his detention.
What of the allegations reported in some sections of the media regarding his “solicitation of campaign funds from one of the rival camps with the Government of the day?”
We need his substantive reply to this important question.
Moreover, we have always advocated for the enactment of the Political Party Bill into law as it seeks to compel disclosure of any apparent inappropriate affiliation with the foreign Governments.
The Political Party Bill will guard the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that no political leader undermine the sovereignty of another country, the very basic tenet upon which nations are built.
We are glad the Zambian Government intervened to secure for his retrieval from the nation that was nearly asking for his head on a Plata.
The Diplomatic channels are quiet complex, they are a delicate issue and such questionable visits has a spill over effect to the sound diplomatic relations between the two nations which have been cherished from times of antiquities.
The issue can be resolved back home and the former Diplomat can clarify most of the conflictual statements regarding his mission in Congo DR.
The Zambian law enforcement agencies must take interest in Dr Mumba’s unannounced trip to country that is infested with protracted internal armed conflict.