IN any functioning democracy, journalists are the bridge between the people and power – the uncomfortable but necessary interrogators of public officials who wield authority funded by taxpayers.
So, when Thabo Kawana, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Media, lashes out at journalists and brands their legitimate questions as “Kachasu” inquiries – trivial, drunken banter – the nation must pause and reflect on what this says about leadership, accountability, and the role of a free press.
It is not only unbecoming but profoundly alarming that Mr Kawana, entrusted with overseeing media relations and public communication, chose to demean journalists for doing the very job the Constitution empowers them to do.
His dismissive and sarcastic remarks during a press briefing – especially in the face of an unresolved procurement scandal – show a contempt for transparency and a dangerous drift toward authoritarianism.
Let’s be clear: there is nothing irrelevant or drunken about asking why the government continues to award contracts to Ace Pharmaceuticals, a firm that has glaringly failed to deliver 156 ambulances on time – ambulances that are now reported to be substandard, left-hand drive, and still undergoing haphazard modifications.
This is not a “Kachasu” debate. It is a matter of life and death, public funds, and government credibility.
If Mr Kawana believes questions about the use of public money are beneath him, then he is categorically the wrong man for the job. A public information officer who recoils in arrogance when probed for answers does not strengthen democracy – he weakens it.
Journalists should never be apologetic for asking tough questions. It is not their job to flatter power or protect egos. It is their duty to challenge, to uncover, and to inform the citizenry.
Mr Kawana’s sneering posture is not only a slap in the face to the press corps, but to every Zambian who deserves clarity on how their money is being spent – especially when lives hang in the balance.
Equally troubling is the evasiveness of Mr Nicholas Phiri, who boldly declared he would resign if the ambulances were not delivered by the end of May.
Now, as that deadline approaches with no full delivery in sight, he insists his role in procurement “justifies” his continued stay in office.
But leadership demands integrity, not spin. If Mr Phiri had the courage to make the promise, he must have the integrity to keep it. No one forced him to offer that commitment.
The scandal surrounding these ambulances remains unresolved. Until government fully owns up – until it explains why a failed supplier is still getting contracts, until it holds someone accountable for the substandard vehicles – the controversy will only deepen.
Public trust is not restored by dodging questions or ridiculing those who ask them.
Mr Kawana must remember: he is not above scrutiny. And neither are the contracts, the ministers, or the companies involved in this shameful saga.
