Vice President fired for insurbordination

Zambia's President Levy Mwanawasa has sacked his vice president, Nevers Mumba, for insubordination. Mwanawasa made the surprise announcement on Monday evening at a news conference at State House in the capital, Lusaka, saying Mumba had breached an oath of allegiance when he failed to retract his recent allegations that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was harbouring individuals who were working against the Zambian government. Secretary to the Cabinet Joshua Kanganja told IRIN on Tuesday that Mumba's dismissal had been with immediate effect, adding that he would be replaced by Northern Province Minister Lupando Mwape. Mwanawasa had admonished his deputy over the accusations at the weekend, and apologised to the Congolese government. Mumba, however, refused to acknowledge that his comments were imprudent, much to the chagrin of Mwanawasa. "I am Mr Mumba's boss and I am entitled to some form of respect in line with the oath that ministers, including the vice president, take when I appoint them. Since he did not regret what he said, I regret that I appointed him and I have with immediate effect removed him from office," the local Daily Mail newspaper quoted Mwanawasa as saying. Former intelligence chief Xavier Chungu is at the centre of the allegations raised by Mumba. Chungu reportedly fled to the DRC in March to avoid being prosecuted for graft in a crackdown against former president Frederick Chiluba and his aides. Chungu is now being accused of using the DRC to channel illicit funds to Zambian opposition parties. Mwanawasa told reporters that since Chungu's flight he had held several discussions with his DRC counterpart through emissaries and at summits. Mumba's unceremonious dismissal has raised concern among commentators, who told IRIN that Mwanawasa "could have dealt with the disagreement more amicably". "Of course Mumba needed to be reprimanded for challenging the president's authority, but sacrificing a vice president in order to maintain diplomatic relations is a bit extreme," said Tiyaonse Kabwe, a senior political science lecturer at the University of Zambia. "There is perhaps a lot more behind the fallout between the two politicians".