By ADRIAN MWANZA
OPPOSITION leaders have questioned the criteria used by Government to reinstate certain individuals retired on political, tribal or any other unfair grounds and wish to be reinstated in the public service. Green Party’s Peter Sinkamba and his counterpart in the Democratic Party Harry Kalaba have expressed scepticism over the process. Mr Sinkamba said the process would backfire in the face of the UPND Government if they were not careful.
The two were recreating to the Secretary to Cabinet’s anouncement that all former Public Service employees that were retired on political, tribal or any other unfair grounds and wished to be reinstated in the public service needed to send their appeals to PMSD for consideration.
Mr Sinkamba however said since taking office two months ago, President Hakainde Hichilema had terminated jobs or retired hundreds of public service employees. He said all of them were fired for political and on unfair grounds and none of them were accorded any hearing, and should therefore be realled.
Mr Sinkamba said they were fired through TV announcements, and up to now, none had been given reasons why their jobs were terminated. “Clearly, this move is intended to employ UPND members and sympathisers.
It is a partisan move. If this move were not partisan, the UPND Government should have first of all reinstated all public service employees who have been fired by President Hichilema in the last two months, and then advise all those who were fired in similar manner during PF, MMD and UNIP to reapply,” he said.
Meanwhile Mr Kalaba charged that the New Government is side-lining individuals from other regions when making appointments and reinstating people that had been retired in national interest. Mr Kalaba during a press briefing in Lusaka, said that recalls made of people that had been retired in national interest by the New Dawn government only comprised of people from a certain province. Meanwhile, Mr Kalaba has revealed that some people had been hired to cause confusion in the party by known elements but that they would not succeed in their quest.
