- Ronnie Shikapwasha
Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha (December 25,1948] ?) is the home affairs minister of
Zambia . He has held that post sinceOctober 6 2006 . A retired LT General of the Zambia Airforce, he was previously the home affairs minister of Zambia, fromFebruary 9 2003 until January 2005, when he switched positions withKalombo Mwansa in a cabinet reshuffle and becameforeign minister . He served as foreign minister for nearly two years, until another cabinet reshuffle in October 2006 which occurred afterLevy Mwanawasa ’s election to a second term as President. Shikapwasha returned to the position of home affairs minister and was replaced as foreign minister by agriculture ministerMundia Sikatana . Shikapwasha hails from Zambia's Central Province and is believed to be a relative to the former First Lady, Maureen Kakubo Mwanawasa.Gen Shikapwasha is a staunch christian.Before becoming Air Force Commander in 1991, Shikapwasha served as a diplomat and defence attache to Tanzania but fell out of favour with former president Kenneth Kaunda. During his tenure, former president Kaunda had the General investigated and found no wrong doings. It is believed that he was sent back to Zambia where he was supposed to face charges but there was nothing to charge him on.
Shikapwasha served as the Zambia Airforce Commander under former president Frederick T. Chiluba. He was subsequently relieved from his duties while laying in a hospital in South Africa on the verge of death. Some believe that Chiluba decided to retire the general because he refused to join in Chiluba's corrupt practices and other believe that Chiluba wanted to blame certain corrupt practices on Shikapwasha if he had died. There were several articles published by Amos Mapulanga via one world newspaper insinuating the above.
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