NO THANK YOU?

SAYING thank you in politics appears to be as bitter as taking quinine tablets, especially when it entails doing so to a perceived political sworn enemy.

This is what MMD president Nevers Mumba has shown since his return from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last week.

Simply put, Dr Mumba is an ungrateful man and that will lead to his downfall.

Dr Mumba has to date chosen not to admit the role that the Zambian government played in having him released from his misadventure that led to his arrest in the Congo DR.

The MMD leader, who is an ordained pastor has always preached about morality in politics, but we are yet to see that in practice.

Instead, he went to town thanking foreign dignitaries for their hand in securing his release.

But as a former Vice President and diplomat, he ought to have realised that President Edgar Lungu and his administration were key to his release.

Not that they had a sinister hand in his arrest, but they did what any responsible government would do when any of its citizens was found on the wrong side of the law in a foreign country.

Yesterday, Foreign Affairs Minister, Joe Malanji confirmed what the whole nation suspected to be the truth, but which cynics, including Dr Mumba have been trying hard to hide.

Mr Malanji said Government did its part ensuring that the MMD leader was released from detention in the Congo DR.

But he added that the government will not waste time investigating his mission there.

The minister indicated that it was prudent for Government not to indulge in what Dr Mumba was detained for in that country.

“We cannot reach that level to investigate what happened in DRC, we do not want to start dancing to the gallery,” Mr Malanji said.

Government should therefore be lauded for intervening in Dr Mumba’s arrest and have him back home to continue politicking – which he has done so.

Upon his safe return last week, Dr Mumba at a press briefing from Congo DR confirmed that he was apprehended by heavily-armed troops and accused of five treason-related charges by that country’s authorities.

He said that he was arrested by soldiers who were armed with machine guns. Yet, the MMD president had earlier denied reports about his arrest in the neighbouring country.

Although there have been a public outcry that the government should investigate Dr Mumba’s trip to the Congo DR, Government has decided to let the matter rest, that it won’t investigate the incident.

However, we expect political leaders to show some respect to the government of the day when they are bailed out of trouble in foreign countries.

Dr Mumba on this score has failed the morality test for not swallowing his pride and thanking the government of President Lungu for securing his release.

This behaviour is typical of political demagogues.