Friday, March 29, 2024

British High Commissioner to Zambia says his tweets were distorted

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MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Joe Malanji has met the British High Commissioner to Zambia, Fergus Cochrane-Dyet.

And High Commissioner Fergus Cochrane stated that the relationship between his government and that of the host country is a good one.

He said the Zambia Watchdog has been creating stories about him in attempts to create differences between him and the Zambian government.

He said his tweets on the FIC have been distorted.

“So particularly my tweets and my meeting with the FIC have been distorted and manipulated by changing punctuations to suggest that I was associating myself to misinformation when actually the reference to misinformation was about Zambia Watchdog,” he said.

And Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Mananji said it would not be in order for social media to tarnish the image of the British government or that of Zambia because the two countries have been having cordial relationship.

Hon. Joe Malanji added that irresponsible media will be wiped out with the enactment of the Cyber Security law.

Mr. Malanji said he was disappointed with how online media platforms wanted to create a war between Zambia and the British government.

40 COMMENTS

  1. This clearly puts the record right. we now know who the main culprit is. Zambian watchdog damaging the country s reputation.

    • I stopped going to that watchdog website in 2006. Every piece of news they carry has an opinion. Do they think their readers can’t think on their own? I ve never been back there cos I know I’m missing nothing.

    • This in part what he said ……..
      But I do express concern about corruption, of course I do, it is very important. The British taxpayer is investing money in development in Zambia, it would be a very serious matter if some of that money was misappropriated. And investors, they need confidence to invest in Zambia and there is a corruption problem in this country and it is quite serious…

    • Fergus is a just another let down of a diplomat … Milanji did well to summon him to his office. I see a level of areligious pragmatism brought about a fear of deportation. How about the comments he made after the Fornicator lost elections in Chilanga?

      This is a warning shot to all would be Cochrane-Dyets that the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise don’t take squart from nobody!!! And as a sovereign country there are ways within which every diplomatic decorum is acceptable otherwise you are sent back home.

      I am proud of US & German Ambassadors to Zambia, they have always been the best … always above board. The British HCs have been problematic ever since KK nationalized the economy. And by the way, there is nothing Great about Britain.

    • Stop being fooled here why was the British envoy summoned was it because of the twitter or Zambian watchdog comments? Assuming malanji doesn’t read watchdog as they all claim how then can he blame watchdog because watchdog doesn’t control twitter!
      Who’s fooling who? Is he also saying the visit to FIC was also a watchdog creation?

    • To understand the modern world one has to learn something about Britain because this is one nation that has affected the world both positively and negatively in no small way. Starting out as a champion slaver and ending as a force for good in the world, deploying the Royal Navy to enforce the slavery ban on the world’s oceans, taking part in the Treaty of Varseileis in France to set up the League of Nations and the San Francisco conference to set up the UN. In between Britain gave the world the Industrial Revolution, its landed aristocrats demanded certain rights from their dictatorial king at Runneymaid thereby unleashing a gradual process to overthrow unchecked hereditary political power and giving the world its favourite game, football.

    • The Zambian Watchdog knows its readership well. Reading something and believing what you read are not necessarily the same thing. Readers of the Watchdog know themselves just as the editors of the website know them.

    • I have discovered that our Foreign Affairs minister cannot speak English. Mawe! What is a Grade 12 certificate these days? In UNIP days, you could forgive a minister floundering in English because they had no choice and many were not educated but threw enough stones to merit being in government. This can’t be so today.

    • i think all bloggers here are either dull or lazy. Who doesnt know the dude tweeted. Learn to cross-check facts . The envoy’s tweets are clear and need no reporter to explain to a critical mind. The envoy has tweeted another tween along the same line. His position s clear

  2. Thank you Mr. Ambassador. It is sad we have “war”mongers in Zambia, especially Galu Watchers in Zambia, an online branch of a tribal Horganization masquerading as a political party.

    • I keenly observe Zambians in all kinds of situations; in office settings, football stadia, internet blogs, at funerals, in newspaper columns, radio station phone-ins, at bus stations, at markets and even in church during funerals and weddings (only time I attend church) and what-have-you. I pay attention to what they say to one another. If Zambia had a real state security machinery trained in scientific data collection methods, it would report appropriately to those who command it.

    • Sharon and Zambian citizen: You need help to interpret diplomatic language but you don’t know that. Neither does the Right Honourable Joseph Malanji, MP. High Commissioner Fergus Cochrane-Dyet is from a country that wrote the textbooks on diplomacy and international law for you.

  3. You are all being deceived the HC is being devious he has intimated and insisted that there are high levels of corruption in Zambia. The Finnish ambassador has also been pushing this agenda. Cleverly he is talking of punctuations ….also be weary of the source of this news is it issued by the British HC office or coming from PF media or Zambia foreign affairs office.

    • But I do express concern about corruption, of course I do, it is very important. The British taxpayer is investing money in development in Zambia, it would be a very serious matter if some of that money was misappropriated. And investors, they need confidence to invest in Zambia and there is a corruption problem in this country and it is quite serious…

  4. “….my meeting with the FIC have been distorted and manipulated by changing punctuations…..”
    So if you change the punctuation, does that change the meaning? Get serious man

    • It happens. Here is an example:
      “Let’s eat, grandpa” versus “Let’s eat grandpa”.
      Remember cannibalism is not completely eradicated on our planet.

    • @Uwatambila: When you have 1.di.ot.s like Jay Jay celebrating a HC attacking your own country, you know our democracy is under threat. Britons themselves consider people like Jay Jay as traitors and enemies of their state. They are useful 1.di.ot.s to make their ends meet when they need to manipulate African situations. Pathetic white bottom cleaners who are looked down upon by the same Britons.

  5. And you wonder why UPND’s HH has been losing elections in Zambia since 2006?it is because of lies.Zambiawatcdog is a UPND’s online medium where lies about Govnt officials and Zambia circulate.SEE NOW,THE UK HIGH COMMISSIONER HAS EXPOSED UPND LIES!!!Its a pity despite losing 5 presidential elections,HH do not want to change failed strategies!!!LIES SHALL NEVER TAKE KAINDE TO STATE HOUSE!!!
    Anyway,all wise Zambians know where to find real news (ZNBC,ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL,TIMES OF ZAMBIA,DAILY NATIONS AND LUSAKA TIMES)!!!!Kainde’s media can go to hell-who cares!!!
    ON 26/07/2018 HH WILL BE DEFEATED PAINTS DOWN BY MIGHTY PF DURING MAYORAL BY ELECTION HERE IN LUSAKA!!!We shall see where lies will take HH!!A LOSER(KAINDE) IS A LOSER!!

    • He can’t be deported. He is from Britain not Cuba. Africans pray to their ex colonial masters. They also receive a lot of money from London

  6. Well, thank you for clearing the air, honorable HC and Minister. This is more the reason fake media is being clamped down on. Today the American first lady took a swipe at fake media by wearing a top saying “I don’t care!!”. In Singapore, if you publish an unverified story, you are liable for criminal conviction and jail. We need some legislation that will outlaw ZWD!!

  7. Whether u attack the ambassador or wat u can never hide the truth there is too much Corruption and even wen u scream all over to report him he is just reminding every responsible Zambia that look,this is your Country protect it from criminal once u damage u regret, he will surely loss nothing he is coming from a well developed Country far much better than Zambia so who is going to loose out more over u scream 4 Donor aid from his Country Awemwandi bwafwa Zambian leaders.

  8. #4 jj, what a shameless idi.ot you are!! All because of your shameful god h.h. Ard you not in UK man? Or are you a shelf cleaner in the supermarkets of Britain? Ati “if you change the punctuation, does that change the meaning?’. Come on jj, that is below a frog, as #4.1 has given you an example.
    Tiday jj has proved me right beyond all shade of doubt that he is an h.h tribal stooge, punctuation marks dob’t mean a thing in the English language, yoy must have gone to tonga school my friend!

    • Cader
      This tribalism of yours

      “..yoy must have gone to tonga school my friend!..”

      Is like saying because you support corruption you went to a bemba school…

      Draws fire and makes tribalism worse..lets be less tribal bane…

  9. Kwena jj and your tribe mates, you mean to tell me that you cannot see the damage that you are causing to yourselves and your political fortunes by such brainless misinformation? So in 2021 the elections will be rigged again?

    • Quote and unquote is what the HC said…

      “…But I do express concern about corruption, of course I do, it is very important. The British taxpayer is investing money in development in Zambia, it would be a very serious matter if some of that money was misappropriated. And investors, they need confidence to invest in Zambia and there is a corruption problem in this country and it is quite serious…”

  10. What does ZWD want ? You want to destroy Zambia so that your HH becomes president. ….a president of a country you’ve destroyed. …where does he begin from? Politics should not make one unpatriotic. Edgar like others before him will at some point leave State House.

    • Ndanje Khakis: I do not see how HH has destroyed Zambia or is trying to destroy Zambia. He exercises no state power. Where is patriotism in paying a million dollars for a fire engine worth less than a quarter of that? Patriotism as defined by Ndanje Khakis I suppose.

    • Read again. ….I don’t know how you read the sentence. …I said the ZWD not HH please is so difficult? The ZWD wants HH to be president and one tact they use is to write bad news about Zambia. I’m sure even if you’re an HH zealot you can understand this.

    • I only defend HH from unwarranted attacks based on his tribe. I’m not even Tonga for your information. I have deplored the arrest of Fresher Siwale, a man I don’t even know and have never met. Perhaps I may never meet him. When Siwale started his campaign against Lungu, it was HH who was being attacked by some because in their estimation, it was HH who was sponsoring Siwale. You never defended HH from such unwarranted attacks. You didn’t have to and neither did I have to but I do not want any human being to suffer injustice. The last time I met HH was in 2006 before he joined politics.

    • Chanchima

      Thank you Zambia has citizens like you who put country, ethics and morals before tribe….

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