BARNABAS ZULU
IT is shocking, embarrassing and amateurish for Mulambo Haimbe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to pretend to know diplomacy to the extent of trying to lecture the United States of America (USA) ambassador to Zambia Mr Michael Gonzales, who is a career diplomat with 25 years of experience, Brian Hapunda has said.
Mr Hapunda, who is the Socialist Party spokesperson says he was shocked to see Mr Haimbe lecturing long serving diplomats, such as Mr Gonzales, who has been practicing diplomacy for two and half decades.
“It was shocking that the UPND administration has a diplomatic tiff with the USA government when they are demanding accountability over stolen medicine happening under their watch. The way the entire scenario has played out is so amateurish for them to pretend to know diplomacy,” Mr Hapunda said.
He said the fact that Mr Gonzales had 25 years of experience in diplomacy gave him credence to comment on the matters of international relations.
“Mr Gonzales has 25 years’ experience in 11, missions. He even said that he held 33 meetings with the Zambian government but what came out was nothing but protecting white collar theives in the new dawn government. They expected him to just keep quiet?
He saw that enough was enough and it was high time that the people know what their government was doing and to what extent drug pilferage had reached,” he said.
Mr Hapunda said it was embarrassing for the government to claim sovereignty, when it is using donor funds in the health sector.
“It is embarrassing to say we are a sovereign state when you are using donor funds.
The tax payers in those countries want accountability and when diplomats come out like that it means something is wrong. So, we are urging Mulambo Haimbe to tone down and sober up in his approach. He is too junior in diplomacy, for him to lecture diplomats,” he said.
“It is shocking, embarrassing and amateurish for Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mr Mulambo Haimbe to pretend to know diplomacy, to the extent of trying to lecture United States of America ambassador to Zambia Mr Michael Gonzales, who has 25 years’ experience in diplomacy, while he is only a junior with less than one-year experience.”
