Lungu must dismiss non-performing Govt officers-EYA

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 12:26:24 +0000

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu should take decisive action against erring government officials to prevent ugly scenes in South Africa from being replicated here by some cabinet officers who feel they cannot be fired for their inefficiencies, the Evangelical Youth Alliance (EYA) has charged.

EYA executive director Moses Lungu told the Daily Nation that the rebellion President Jacob Zuma was facing in South Africa from the people he appointed to various positions was born out of tolerance to vices within the service and that it was a lesson that Zambia must take seriously.

He said there were a lot of “bad eggs” in the civil service in Zambia starting from district commissioners to cabinet ministers who were not doing their honest part because they believed they could never be fired due to their connections to President Lungu or were convinced that they were the backbone of the PF and that tolerating such individuals had grave consequences.

He said service delivery in some sectors had become pathetic because people responsible had become accustomed to the laissez-faire attitude towards work because they had convinced themselves that they were infallible and could, therefore, not be fired by the appointing authority.

He said President Lungu’s leniency on non-performing officials in the governance system had the potential to boomerang if not checked and that time to take decisive action on those who were frustrating government’s developmental agenda was now to serve as a warning that government positions were not personal to holder.

“We agree with President Lungu when he says some people in his government have become big-headed because of the positions they hold and we are patiently waiting for the time when he will crack the whip on such individuals because the evidence is there for all to see that some of them believe they cannot be fired going by their attitude towards work.

“Some are sabotaging government efforts on purpose because of pride and self-importance and we believe time to act is now.

“The developments in South Africa should be a wake-up call because we are foreseeing a situation where they could be replicated even here if we are not careful.

“Some of the people rebelling against President Zuma today were very loyal at some point but because they were tolerated and overstayed in their offices, they now have the audacity to blackmail the president and think they cannot be disciplined,” Rev. Lungu said.

He said it was obvious that some people were simply refusing to do their jobs because they wanted Government to fail, adding that such individuals were not fit to occupy public offices because they were a threat to the development of the country.