Threats to dismiss civil servants condemned

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:02:45 +0000

Threats to dismiss civil servants suspected to be anti-government are counterproductive and will affect the performance of officers, says a clergyman.

In a telephone interview with the Daily Nation, Pastor Joseph Chishimba said such a move was discriminatory and had a diminishing effect on the country’s development.

Pastor Chishimba said that there was no way the PF government would intimidate civil servants who were working for the development of the nation.

He said it was imperative to appreciate every effort that contributed to the country’s economic growth, adding that politicking everything was not necessary, especially on issues to deal with national matters.

He advised the PF government to stop comparing and mixing up party issues with national matters, as that would adversely affect the economic growth of the country.

“I think this is not a good thing at all, threatening to dismantle civil servants is totally a counterproductive move that should not be accepted by all who meant well forZambia, because civil servants are working for the people and not on the basis of any particular party,” he said.

The clergyman said the government’s trend of appointing under qualified officials to run the civil service was underrating the development projects.

He said it was important for public workers to remain non partisan, and deliver efficient services to the nation.

The pastor said threatening people under the perception that they were opposition was wrong, and said it was sad that the PF appeared set to continue dismissing civil servants belonging to the opposition, in a bid to replace them with cadres.

FormerEasternProvinceMinister Charles Banda alleged that all civil servants needed to accept the change of government in order to continue with the implementation of developmental programmes in all sectors of the economy.