VERNON Mwaanga (VJ), Zambia’s most illustrious career diplomat with massive exposure in the foreign service that has made him a big political influence in the country, is once again in the news.
This is not because the veteran politician has launched a major political party to turn around the lives of the majority of the Zambian people.
Over the past year or so, each time VJ is in the news, it is either because of issues related to the constitution making process or stoking the embers of vote-rigging fears with many of UPND leaders and supporters.
All this happens with a veteran politician who claims to be the ‘diplomatic icon of Zambia’ and was at one point Zambia’s permanent representative at the United Nations (UN) General Council.
He is a veteran career diplomat with massive Foreign Service exposure but has morally unacceptable ideas on election matters and many difficulties in sustaining diplomatic etiquette.
All this with a veteran politician and career diplomat who recently insinuated that the outcome of the February Ugandan general elections could have been manipulated in favour of President Yoweri Museveni by Ms Al  Ghurairi Printing and Publishing House of Dubai.
Everything with VJ’s political career is upside down. He thinks he owns the UPND and the Post Newspaper and can say what pleases him at any time to enlist self-publicity. And lest we forget, he cannot dare to go to Germany or to the US for anything from tourism to healthcare for obvious reasons.
Yes, this is VJ – Zambia’s diplomatic icon or more appropriately Zambia’s failed veteran politician.
MUBANGA LUCHEMBE
Lusaka