Elias Mbao
15 December 2011
Lusaka — Zambia’s three-month old government has recalled 50 diplomats serving abroad in a move that will gobble about $2.3 million, the southern African nation’s acting Foreign minister has told Parliament.
Responding to questions from opposition parliamentarians on Wednesday, minister Joseph Kasonde said the diplomats had been recalled since September 20 when President Michael Sata’s Patriotic Front (PF) party came to power.
Repatriation fees
“The amount of money put aside for repatriation fees as a result of recalling Zambian diplomats serving abroad is Zambian Kwacha 11.9 billion ($2.3 million),” said Dr Kasonde, who is also Health minister.
The recalled diplomats include ambassadors, high commissioners and junior officials, mostly appointed by the government of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy, the party that had ruled Zambia for two decades.
Zambia has over 32 missions abroad.
Dr Kasonde said new diplomatic appointments had been made on the basis of requisite qualifications and “no political cadres” had been sent into foreign service.
Mr Sata, as an opposition leader, had frequently accused then presidents Levy Mwanawasa and Rupiah Banda of appointing ruling party cadres into civil and diplomatic service.
Sackings of diplomats were expected after their April 2011 meeting where then president Banda thanked them for financing the MMD and urged them to finance his re-election campaign.
Mr Sata rebuked Mr Banda and promised to de-politicise the diplomatic service.
However, President Sata — elected on September 20 — has also come under sharp criticism from some opposition parties especially the MMD, for allegedly appointing political allies and tribesmen and women to government portfolios.
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