COUCH-DIPLOMATS’ HOLLOW CRUSADE
…Barbra Chama blasts former envoys Emmanuel Mwamba and Antony Mukwita for chasing lost luxuries under the guise of political commentary
COUCH-DIPLOMATS’ HOLLOW CRUSADE
…Barbra Chama blasts former envoys Emmanuel Mwamba and Antony Mukwita for chasing lost luxuries under the guise of political commentary
By DAVID KANDUZA
THE air in political circles grew noticeably heavier today September 2, 2026, as Barbrah Musamba Chama, a prominent civic voice and leader of the HH Gatekeepers Bloggers, unleashed a blistering, unvarnished critique against former diplomats Emmanuel Mwamba and Antony Mukwita.
With the political landscape still reeling from the high-stakes August presidential election, Ms Chama exposed what she viewed as a desperate, self-serving strategy by the two former envoys to claw their way back into the comfortable corridors of foreign service.
Ms Chama pulled no punches, revealing that the relentless stream of articles authored by Mr Mwamba and Mr Mukwita—which systematically aimed to embarrass President Hakainde Hichilema while showering praise on opposition runner-up Brian Mundubile—was nothing more than a calculated audition.
Posting on her Facebook page Ms Chama said the two writers were merely looking to reclaim their previous diplomatic postings and ‘enjoy life’ on the taxpayers’ Kwacha, rather than engaged in genuinely productive, nation-building endeavours.
“They cannot ask for reconciliation now,” Ms Chama noted sharply, pointing out the glaring hypocrisy of their sudden appeals for peace.
She described their commentary as fundamentally divisive, noting that individuals who deliberately sowed seeds of discord to fracture public trust could not turn around and preach unity when the political winds did not blow in their favour.
The critique shines a harsh spotlight on the post-election behaviour of former Patriotic Front (PF) elites.
For men accustomed to the prestige, luxury and immunity of international embassies, the harsh reality of civilian life and political opposition seemed a bitter pill to swallow.
Ms Chama’s words paint a picture of two men trapped in nostalgia, weaponising their pens not out of love for Zambia, but out of a profound longing for their lost privileges.
By linking their glowing praise of NRPUP leader Brian Mundubile—who was facing serious legal battles—directly to their personal financial desires, Ms Chama had effectively re-framed their “independent analysis” as an opportunistic marketing campaign
As the country moves forward under President Hichilema’s second mandate, the message from the ruling administration’s defenders was clear: there would be no backroom handshakes or hollow reconciliations for those who used toxic rhetoric to bargain for a return to the good life.