President Edgar Lungu has recalled Zambia’s High Commissioner to Australia George Kanyamula Zulu, deputy High Commissioner to South Africa Philemona Kachesa and first secretary for press and tourism at the mission in Malawi Chrispin Mukwita.

A government official told News Diggers! that President Lungu gave instructions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recall the three diplomats for various reasons.

The official said Kanyamula, who is former Permanent Secretary at Foreign Affairs, was viewed as being disloyal to President Lungu because he expressed remarks that the Head of State had turned against late president Michael Sata’s people .

“On High Commissioner Kanyamula, the President ordered his recall for disloyalty. Apparently, there is a recording which was availed to H.E in which the High Commissioner was heard saying that ‘ECL has turned against Sata’s people’. On a number of occasions, he was heard grumbling against the President. That is what led to his recall with immediate effect,” stated the source.

Zulu was moved from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April 2015, about three months after President Lungu took over the presidency, from Sata who died on October 28, 2014.

And the source said, Kachesa who had served seven years in foreign service, was supposed to be recalled last year but her contract was extended.

“On Kachesa, she was supposed to be recalled in 2016, but it (the contract) was extended for another year. If you recall she was in Belgium, then she moved to France before swapping with Joe Kaunda who was in South Africa,” said the source.

“But the scandal is on Mukwita who has hardly served six months in Malawi. This boy is the young brother to Ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita, but his conduct was a disgrace. He was drinking recklessly and we understand that he was even mingling with the Malawian intelligence, which brought his diplomatic conduct into question. So the Zambian intelligence officer there wrote a very bad recommendation against him.”

The government official said Mukwita, and President Lungu’s press aides tried to save young Mukwita’s job, but the President personally ordered his recall.

“The President said ‘misconduct, drunkenness and unethical conduct in foreign service will not be tolerated’. His brother tried to intervene, it didn’t work. He has actually been given up to this Friday to leave Malawi.”

Muwkita was posted in foreign service earlier this year along with Kellys Kaunda who was posted to Germany in the same capacity, Seth Kasabo (Botswana), Inutu Mwanza (Ethiopia/African Union), Cosmas Chileshe (Washington DC), Jeremy Munthani (Turkey), Wallen Simwaka (New York/United Nations), Yande Musonda (France) Phyllis Chilekwa (Belgium), Yotam Mugara (Japan) and Bangwe Naville (India).