#BanaBaabo- A well placed source just alerted me to the fact that Dubai is in mourning . You heard it here first, none of your main Media entities cared to dig deep enough!! Asking legitimate questions is not seditious, nor is it treasonous. HH HEADS TO UAE AS DUBAI MOURNS. WHAT CHANGED? By Linda Banks […]

#BanaBaabo- A well placed source just alerted me to the fact that Dubai is in mourning . You heard it here first, none of your main Media entities cared to dig deep enough!! Asking legitimate questions is not seditious, nor is it treasonous.

HH HEADS TO UAE AS DUBAI MOURNS. WHAT CHANGED?

By Linda Banks

President Hakainde Hichilema’s departure for the United Arab Emirates raises a straightforward question about timing.

Dubai is currently observing 10 days of official mourning following the death of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, younger brother of Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Flags have been lowered to half mast and some public entertainment and official activities have been adjusted. The mourning period does not, however, amount to a shutdown of the UAE. Government business, commercial activity and diplomatic engagements can continue.

It is against this sombre backdrop that President Hichilema is travelling to the Emirates.

Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane announced that the President’s working visit would take place from 29 to 30 September, at the invitation of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The programme includes bilateral talks, investment discussions and the anticipated signing of agreements.

Yet President Hichilema left Zambia on Sunday night, 27 September, two days before the dates communicated to the country.

There may be an entirely routine explanation. Presidential programmes change and diplomatic schedules are often adjusted. But the difference between the announcement and the actual departure deserves clarification, particularly when Zambia is still waiting for the President to complete the formation of his Cabinet.

The Dubai mourning period adds context, but it should not be mistaken for evidence of a connection. The invitation came from the President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, not from Dubai’s ruler, and I have found no evidence that any special exemption or arrangement was made for President Hichilema because of the mourning period.

The more pertinent question is therefore closer to home. What changed between the Government announcing a 29 September visit and the President leaving Zambia on the night of 27 September?

Foreign investment is important and the UAE is an important economic partner. But with a new administration still being assembled, Zambians are entitled to ask why the President’s departure suddenly moved forward and what required his presence in the Emirates earlier than announced.

Sometimes the most important story is not what we can speculate about, but the gap between what the public was told and what subsequently happened.