Nawa Stands Tall on Pedestal of Integrity
By Benedict Tembo
Reformist Mubita Nawa’s candidacy for one of the world’s most prestigious police jobs is entering a critical stage as preliminary assessments are set for next week. Mr. Nawa is vying for the position of Secretary General of International Police (INTERPOL) and is facing competition from three candidates from the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The Zambia Police Service director of administration is undaunted by competition and stands not only on the standard virtues of policing but also on the pedestal of reform so that INTERPOL reflects a true global image. The Deputy commissioner of police is inspired by his passion for a world safe for everyone and one that presents opportunities to all. His candidature also seeks to reverse a trend that has excluded Africa for more than 100 years of INTERPOL’s existence as the position of Secretary General has only been held by representatives outside the continent. And that, Mr. Nawa says, should be the beginning of reform. Should he go through, as he believes he will, reform will start from within the executive committee and secretariat which are seemingly a closed shop for Africa. His blueprint also details major changes even in the way projects are spread across the globe so that they reflect the global character of the organization. Preliminary assessments of the four candidates are set for April 22 to 26 while the final will be around June. Despite facing an obvious stiff competition, Mr. Nawa is unfazed as his confidence is full to the brim not only because of the reform agenda but his unparalleled curriculum vitae that clearly sets him apart. “I am very confident as I believe I have the right expertise, exposure, and experience for the job,” Mr. Nawa says. He has immense exposure and experience in international law enforcement from the Southern African Development Community, the United Nations, and Interpol.
Backing
Apart from endorsement of the Zambian government, Mr. Nawa boasts of support almost throughout Africa. The African Union at its recent summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia unanimously agreed to rally behind one African candidate which is Zambia. His strength so far includes exposure to a wide range of jurisdictions, different international organizations, having worked in several multi-cultural environments, and having worked at leadership positions in all these places. Mr. Nawa has gained experience at operational and strategic level, especially the experience of the realities of the policing challenges, dynamics, and realities from the field having been Director of the Interpol regional bureau for Southern Africa. Being the only African candidate, Mr. Nawa also has the consensus of countries to implement change of the status quo. He sees the Executive Committee voting for the Secretary General and not the General Assembly as the only threat. “The Brazilian candidate is a member of the Executive Committee where he is vice president for the Americas region, which is responsible for the interviews and selection of the SG. The United Kingdom candidate Stephen Kavanagh is the Executive Director Police Service at Interpol headquarters, technically number two from the Secretary General. The fourth contestant is Faisal Shankah. While Mr. Nawa is still struggling to raise resources for his campaign, the Brazilian candidate Valdery Urquiza and his UK counterpart can traverse the world directly meeting Heads of State and Government under the guise of their current positions while canvassing for support for their candidacy. He is also disadvantaged by not having direct access at certain levels which in some cases delays the campaign activities. “Direct access allows for proper briefings and putting the authorities in a clear perspective of the processes involved. Reporting through third parties creates information gaps,” Mr. Nawa says. He has engaged relevant offices to assist. “For instance, I have direct access to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation senior officials. We have been having physical and virtual meetings arranged by Foreign Affairs,” Mr. Nawa says.
Some of these names I almost thought he was the motivational speaker! Zambian police officers have excelled in international assignments. They rank amongst the best. It’s only here where they sometimes act unprofessionally because of political interference. And please let’s stop this practice of appointing IGs from outside the rank and file of those in service. It’s not good to recall retired officers
I also thought it was that Nawa who has bn abandoned by the UPND after spending time in the Cells of Luapula.
Let’s not kid ourselves – Zambia is the garden of all variety of criminals. Drug smugglers, human traffickers, money laundering operations are rife due to the ease of operations, thanks to friendly law enforcement. Whatever little gets done is because of pressure from U.S./EU. Internationally Zambia is high risk. Just to give one example, tens of thousands of passports were issued to fake persons, who in turn have used those documents to open bank accounts and companies in other jurisdictions for criminal activities. This is Zambia’s reputation and would not be possible without the Zambia Police, DEC, Immigration officers being partners in crime.
Has Nawa ever worked for the Zambia Police? What is his track record with the Police Service. We have only read he was a body guard for T.D Jakes. Is that the CV he is taking to Interpol?
We deserve a seat at any international table, and it is worth supporting bo Mubita Nawa for that position. Each time I encounter a Zambian in the diaspora I am immensely impressed at the professionalism and dedication to the task they have where they are. All the best to you, and to the Zambian bid.
Let us not generalize. We should only promote clean people not just because they come from our backyard.
Love for meeting diaspora without any clear thinking equals blindness….think it through… do we want more bad eggs everywhere in the world… it is bad enough we have many bad eggs buried inside Zambia police… nawa cannot be an exception to the rule
Do not make me laugh. I reported the South African scammers to interpol 3 years ago. Up to now I never heard anything back. These scammers from Western Cape as sellers of tractors. Once you pay them they completely stop contacts. They work together with a Zambia coloured and criminal called Cain Mbaale.
The company is called Trachmans tractors in West Cape in South Africa. Reporting them to Interpol never helped at all. On paper they advertise and sell tractors and other agriculture products which the never deliver. It is bunch of crimininals being represented in Zambia by a top criminal called Cain Mbaale. He operates between 6 and 15 miles in Lusaka.
Kikikikikiki! Mr Nawa from corrupt Zambia will lead reform in Interpol? What a joke! Dream on you roadblock lovers in Zed. By the way Interpol had an African as its President from 1995 to 98. Jackie Selebi from equally corrupt South Africa was well placed to lead reform in Interpol but he ended up in prison
Could Mr Nawa be heading in Selebi’s direction?
I didn’t know this! Thank you I will read more about it.
So true so true.. this will end in tears
Exporting corruption from Zambia Police Service! This officer is an embarrassment to Zambia.
Extortion, theft and torture is just another day in Zambia. I have lived in Melbourne now for 10 years. ZPS is far behind international standards, how can anyone accept the other police forces of the world to accept an officer from a corrupt force taking control of Interpol?
Our police men are not profession we don’t need a sit unless the IG sober up not these unprofessional acts we are seeing from Musamba.
We should be alarmed by the prospect of Interpol being run by an officer who has risen so high in the culture of corruption and lawlessness !! It would be a terrible mistake not because the candidate is from Zambia or Africa but because the people of the world deserve leadership of integrity – not criminals in uniforms. God save us from such bad people taking control.
IG please come clean! Why was the same officer (Mubita Nawa) transferred from Southern Province Regional Command to the Victim Support Unit? Which questionable actions of Nawa lead to this transfer/effective demotion at the time? (hint: involving a prominent South Africa based, Zambian Businessman!)
IG and Force HQ have a duty to disclose this to the public before putting his name forward on behalf of the whole country.
Let Interpol do a proper BACKGROUND CHECK before Zambia is embarrassed and Interpol becomes a laugh stock on account of Nawa. Don’t play with our national image IG!
Oh, this is interesting. Can someone file a Freedom for Information request? Let his background report be published if he’s to represent all of Africa as our candidate. We only want clean officers.
The scandal in Southern Province Command was involving ALFRED NAWA not MUBITA NAWA but frankly, it just exposes CORRUPTION is normal in ZAMBIA POLICE. Alfred or Mubita, it does not matter, Interpol must protect itself from the VIRUS of ZPS.
From my experience, police officers in Zambia are very corrupt. Much more than say Botswana or Rwanda. Why did AU decide to support Zambia only? This looks political and not based on merit. Why should the World take us seriously if we don’t get our house in order first? Do the people read what had been happening in Zambia, especially with the police force being use to suppress political protests, torture suspects and even engage in murder and robbery? It would be fit and proper for African Union to restart process of selecting another candidate.
Botswana Police are the least corrupt in the region because they get good salaries. There is no need for fake roadblocks in Francistown or Gaberone, I drive there often and no policeofficer asks me for a cold drink like in Zambia Zimbabwe and South Africa.
When BP conduct a roadblock it is because of suspicious criminal activity or probable cause as you lawyers may put it. Someone just doesnt turn up at the office, gets bored and decides to conduct a roadblock.
I agree. Once upon a time Zambia was a blueprint for other African countries now it is an example of disaster in governance.
Eishhh…. be careful what you ask for !!! International deployments of Nawa do not impress…. we can’t see any results on the ground…..maybe some people there just don’t know our police officers are the most unprofessional ?? God bless and stay safes… the crooks are capturing Interpol… local gangs will become international and international gangs have found their way inside..
The drug barons and human traffickers laundering their money and moving their product at ease in Zambia, always in connivence with law enforcement officers, must be elated ‘one of their own’ from the dependably corrupt Zambian Police Service may soon be in charge of Interpol. This is a wet dream for the underworld but will soon become a nightmare for rest of the world.
I suspect UPND expects to loose the next general election and will face many charges whilst their party officials are on the RUN. They need their man NAWA in INTERPOL to protect them. Hopefully the Interpol assembly will not make the mistake of falling into the plans of the corrupt clique. UPND are not who we thought they were. Their ministers are more corrupt than ever before and the President doesn’t seem to be able to stop them.