THE Movement for Multi party Democracy (MMD) president, Dr Nevers Mumba, owes the nation the truth about his mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
After causing anxiety in the nation over his misadventure in the Congo, we expect him to be forthright with his mission and why the Congolese authorities saw it fit to detain him.
By his admission, he was moved from his Kolwezi hotel room by about 16 heavily armed security personnel and driven to Lubumbashi, almost four hours away.
Such actions are very serious and not something that can be brushed aside. This borders on national security and we have every right to demand for answers from anyone who puts the country’s security at risk.
Whatever his mission to Congo was, it turned out badly for him because authorities there were obviously uncomfortable about his presence.
They would not go to the trouble of arresting him and hounding him out of the hotel unceremoniously and driving to another town hundreds of kilometres.
Whatever his mission, it did not go well with the Congolese.
It must be embarrassing him also and others who thought our story of his detention was false.
We have been proved right and others have been left with egg on their faces for doubting our impeccably sourced story.
Dr Mumba’s experience should be a warning to others who like sneaking off to other countries without alerting Zambian missions in those countries.
When misfortunes strike, one is still forced to seek help of their government just like the MMD leadership and others were doing in asking the government to intervene.
Dr Mumba was released with government intervention, and that is why the border was opened for him to cross over to the Zambian side at that odd hour.
He has every reason to be thankful to government knowing the reputation of Congolese security officials and how they deal with suspects.
We concur with the MMD NEC member Mr Chishala Chilufya for blasting Dr Mumba for putting the country at risk.
Mr Chilufya has complained that Dr Mumba’s habit of sneaking out left party members bewildered because they were also in the dark.
He has challenged Dr Mumba to reveal details of the mission so that the rumours of his intentions could be rested.
“Our president, Nevers Mumba’s ordeal in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) needs more interrogation and it is embarrassing that he wants to blame government for his mischief,” Mr Chilufya has said.
Mr Chilufya, who is MMD chairman for Agriculture, said the entire leadership was shocked to learn of his troubles in the DRC because they were not aware of the trip or what it was for and asked that government should ask him to explain.
He warned that matters of international security are sensitive and should be handled carefully. Therefore, he said, the nation needs knows what the MMD leader was doing there.
It is incumbent upon every citizen to put the country’s interests first and not to set out on missions that end in detention as happened to Dr Mumba.
Such embarrassing situations can be avoided if citizens are honest with the government as they travel out of the country.
NEVERS’ SHENANIGANS
