President Edgar Lungu warns under performing ambassadors and high commissioners

President Edgar Lungu says he will not hesitate to dismiss underperforming ambassadors and high commissioners representing Zambia in other countries.
President Lungu says he has observed with concern that some diplomats were not equal to the task of serving and representing the country in foreign missions where they have been accredited.
He says that he is still monitoring the ambassadors and was not in a hurry to remove them due to cost implications involved in recalling them.
The President was speaking at State House in Lusaka today when he swore in Winnie Chibesakunda and Walubita Imakando as ambassadors to the People’s Republic of China and the Federation Republic of Malaysia respectively.
President Lungu also swore in Joseph Mukupa as Chief Analyst for Project Implementation and Monitoring.
Mr. Lungu has challenged the new diplomats to apply their qualifications and vast diplomatic experience which they gained as career civil servants in the foreign missions in order for the country to benefit from the bilateral relations it has with the countries they are accredited to.
President Lungu said he had taken time to appoint the two diplomats and was convinced that they will ably represent the country and vindicate his choice from his detractors.
He pointed out that China had become a scramble for diplomats and hoped that Zambia will benefit from the bilateral relations.
Mr. Lungu noted that Malaysia had turned around its economy and advanced in information technology and hoped that Zambia will draw lessons from the Far East country.