MESSY COMMUNICATION!
THE new administration will definitely need to manage communication in a more professional and well-structured manner to forestall the current poor display.
Firstly, it is critical to appreciate that information is a delicate commodity and thus must be handled with due care and diligence.
If not handled professionally, information may get distorted and mislead end users; this can prove ghastly for the communicator.
Secondly, it is always important that professionals at technocrat level fully acquaint politicians with the nitty-gritties of effective communication.
On the other hand, politicians must always fully prepare themselves before getting on air to address the nation, as failure to do so could result in a huge bungle.
It is also important for the UPND spokesperson and other party functionaries to stick to party matters, without delving into government aspects.
On the other hand, Information and Media Minister, Chushi Kasanda, must confine herself to speaking about Government issues without getting muddled up in party affairs.
Therefore, the structures must be clearly defined so that information is disseminated in an orderly and effective matter.
President Hakainde Hichilema and his leadership must address the current duplicity and confusion in Government and party communication systems.
Right now, the UPND Alliance has Leslie Chikuse and Thabo Kawana taking turns in addressing the media, many times straying into policy matters of Government and also crossing into matters bordering on the Presidency.
The two gentlemen have time and again given a position on the Presidency when that function falls under the ambit of Special Assistant and Presidential spokesperson, Anthony Bwalya.
The Information and Media Minister also struggled to read her speech in full glare of media cameras on Thursday.
Mr Cornelius Mweetwa, the UPND spokesperson, during a briefing this week touched on the Presidential jet and how the matter would be tabled before Cabinet.
Clearly, Mr Mweetwa sounded as though he was a Chief Government spokesperson, because strictly speaking, issues surrounding the Presidential jet are purely Government.
It will be interesting to learn if all the five spokespersons interact regularly to coordinate their activities and scheduled address to the nation.
Secondly, it will also be interesting to know if they share their thoughts among themselves before getting on air.
Do they also get clearance?
Quite frankly, the leadership in the party and in Government on the other hand must sort out this mess because if left unchecked, it will be too costly to control.
It appears as though each one of the spokespersons is fighting for recognition and relevance, hence the frequent media briefings whose details overlap and create a messy situation rather than resolving an issue.
The end result from the amateurish presentation has been more confusion, leaving the audience with more questions than answers.
It is no wonder media briefings have ignited backlash, with people discussing presentations and speakers instead of digesting the content.