INFORMATION minister Dora Siliya’s ex-lover, Mark Ode Mubalama, last weekend got engaged to former State House permanent secretary Emmanuel Chilubanama’s niece, Mwange Chilufya.
Chilufya works at Chilubanama’s company, Luntex Construction Limited in Lusaka.
On Christmas Day in 2016, Siliya, who was agriculture minister at the time, flew with Mubalama – a ‘Congolese’ boxing promotor – to the USA for a festive holiday.
At the time, Mubalama was married to Nangula, the daughter of Namibia’s President, Hage Geingob.
On March, 20, 2017, The Mast carried a lead story headlined ‘WE’RE IN GOVERNMENT… and now enjoying; I’ve travelled in a private car with my husband to save costs – Siliya’
The minister had introduced Mubalama as her husband, when she addressed PF cadres in Chililabombwe on Saturday, March 18, 2017.
Siliya had travelled to Chililabombwe on a programme she called fact-finding mission on smuggling of agricultural stuff at Kasumbalesa border post.
But love turned sour in March, 2017; Mubalama beat up Siliya after accusing her of having intimate relationships with younger men.
Following the beating, Siliya sought medical attention at Fairview Hospital in Lusaka on March 16, 2017.
In April, 2017, Nangula filed in the Namibia High Court Main Division to divorce Mubalama, following his publicly stated love affair with Siliya.
In late January, 2017, Immigrations Department authorities in Zambia arrested Mubalama and had him detained at Lusaka Central Correctional Facility (Chimbokaila), for reasons bordering on his nationality.
The Mast learnt then that Mubalama was a Zambian who never held a foreign passport.
On February 27, 2017, the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court entered a nolle prosequi in a case where Mubalama was charged with giving false information to immigration officers.
When the matter was called before Lusaka magistrate Betty Malupenga, Mubalama’s lawyer Lubinda Linyama informed the court that he had received new instructions relating to the accused’s change of plea.