FAREWELL BA SAMUEL NKHOMA, MUYENDE BWINO

Dear Editor, MY recollection of the late Chief of Intelligence Mr Samuel Nkhoma spans from 2011 when PF first won the general elections. Straight from the corporate world, late President Michael Sata appointed me as the first PF provincial minister for Lusaka Province. I had no clue what my roles were as there was no proper orientation on the job from anyone. In any case, we were all in cloud 9 having formed Government against all odds. I remember writing a letter to President Sata alerting him that a certain chief was admitted at UTH. He wrote back to me with a one liner. “It is not your job to inform me on such matters.” Lol. A few days later, I got a visitor walk in my ministerial office. He introduced himself as Samuel Nkhoma, the Lusaka Province Director of Intelligence. Instantly, I thought or assumed he came to say that he reports to me given he is in charge of Lusaka at Red brick. So I then asked him, “So tell me any interesting events happening in Lusaka.” To this day nine years later I still remember verbatim his measured response. “The Honourable Minister may wish to ask His Excellency the President.” I thought he did not hear me properly. I asked him again but paraphrased with “… I am just asking about matters that may be of interest to my office.” “The Honourable Minister may wish to ask His Excellency the President” he responded yet again. Lol. Later, I would learn that the said relationship between my office and his would be a one-sided flow of information. From my office to his and never the other way round. I was also intrigued in our conversations by his way of addressing me and the President. It was in a third party version. I was present in the meeting with him but he would refer to me “The Honourable Minister may wish to.....” Later I would learn that in protocol and system etiquette, that’s the ideal way of addressing anyone senior be it a Minister and above all the President. I only lasted two months as the Lusaka Province Minister and was transferred to Southern Province in the same capacity. So there was no second meeting with Mr Nkoma and I lost contact with him for the next many years. My other personal encounter with him that I can remember would come in 2018 during my mayoral elections. In the heat of campaigns, he called that I urgently needed to meet him. We agreed 20 hours in the car park at Central Mall, Kabulonga. He was there 20 hours on the dot and I jumped in his passenger seat. “The Principal is concerned with reports on social media that last night you were seen drunk at Chicago’s and Capone’s late until early hours of the morning. What happened?” he asked. “Sir, I went to campaign and was giving fliers as most patrons in such places like Chicago’s also vote. I therefore thought it would be ideal to go interact a bit with them and canvass their vote.” We spent the next hour or so with Mr Nkhoma evoking the caring ‘ big Brother’ in him and counselling me why it was not a good idea for me as a candidate to be seen in night clubs past midnight. He was indeed my older brother in the sense that his wife and my elder sister Ann are professional friends for years. They collaborated since 15 years ago at the then AIBT College and together facilitated for a lot of Zambian students to enroll at universities in Australia. “Namvela Bambo Nkani yaku Chicago’s nakuma nightclubs usiku. Please assure the Big Boss that it won’t happen again. Thank you Sir,” I said to him as I disembarked from his car. That’s the bit of my encounter with the departed Mr Samuel Nkhoma. I don’t remember ever having met him again after this car park meeting in 2018. It can only mean that I listened to his counsel and was never again at Chicago’s, Capones or any night club patronising late in the night to warrant his summoning again. Lol. In the two face to face meetings I have had with the late Mr Nkhoma over nine years, I learnt something from him and that is “loyalty to the Boss always.” This I picked up mainly in our first meeting we had as both (him and I) the in charge (bosses) of Lusaka Province. He refused to tell me anything happening in Lusaka. I thought to myself, “Does this man know that the President is my uncle?. . How can he not tell me” lol. (Yes I was very naive about how the system works. It was not a surprise to me therefore that my second meeting with him nine years later, his title was that of not the Boss for Lusaka, but entire Zambia. He had risen to become the Director General of Intelligence guess due to his vital attribute, unflinching loyalty to the appointing authority. After PF won in 2011, I equally had some minimal encounters with Mr Nkhoma’s predecessors namely Mr Xavier Chungu, Mr Regis Phiri and Mr Martin Mwanambale. Comparatively as regards age, you have gone too soon Mr Samuel Nkhoma.

The Honourable Minister may wish to ask His Excellency the President.” I thought he did not hear me properly. I asked him again but paraphrased with “… I am just asking about matters that may be of interest to my office.”