I do not need permission from opposition, students to appoint Dora

I do not need permission from opposition, students to appoint Dora
Written by Staff Reporters
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 4:21:04 PM

President Rupiah Banda has said he does not need permission from the opposition or students to appoint Dora Siliya or any individual to a government positions. And President Banda has announced a freeze on the purchase of luxury motor vehicles in the public service and the full utilisation of available personal to holder motor resources as part of measures to respond to the financial challenges being experienced by the country.

Announcing a mini-reshuffle during his second press conference since assuming office, President Banda said while there had been some comments made following his recent re-appointment of Siliya it was within his powers as Republican President.

“They should know that a President does not need permission from the opposition or students,” President Banda said, in apparent reference to the University of Zambia students who have rejected Siliya’s appointment.

Later when responding to a question from a journalist about his swift re-appointment of Siliya, President Banda said it took him mere 24 hours to effect the appointment.

“It took me just 24 hours to re-appoint Dora Siliya. But also inform the people that it took me five minutes when I was informed that a citizen had filled a complained about her. And it took me a further five minutes to authorise that resources be made available for the setting up of a tribunal,” President Banda said.

“So now what is wrong with accepting the outcome of the court, women are not even standing up when one fellow woman was victimised.”

The President has appointed Dr Austin Sichinga as his Chief of Staff at State House moving from the position of Senior Private Secretary a position that he said would be filled later.

He has also dropped science and technology permanent secretary Ignatius Kashoka whom he has replaced with Mukuka Zimba from the Ministry of Transport and Communication in the same capacity.

He has also dropped Davison Chilipamushi from community development and social welfare permanent secretary who he has replaced with Gladys Kristafor.

He has moved Dr Buleti Nsemukila to the ministry of trade and commerce as permanent secretary while Southern Province deputy permanent secretary Aaron Zulu who has been appointed Commissioner for the Drug Enforcement Commission.

Earlier in his address on the economic situation, President Banda said the nation faced serious financial challenges and demanded sacrifice from government leaders and officers in the public service.

He has since directed controlling officers in all government wings to ensure that the directive was immediately implemented.

He noted that revenue collections had dropped below the projected level while there had been mounting pressure from the public service for remuneration packages beyond the budgeted amount.

President Banda said the budget was under further added pressure further on account of recent withdrawal of funding by some donor agencies.

He said as part of some measures to address the budgetary pressure, he had ordered the full utilisation of personal-to-holder-vehicles for their intended purposes instead of simply being parked at their homes.

He further ordered a ban on fresh purchases of luxury vehicles while trips abroad would be reduced to the barest minimum based on necessity.

He said the frequency of workshops in government ministries and departments would also be reduced to only cases on necessity while they would be held in government establishments instead of lodges, hotels and other such establishments that were costing the government huge amounts in expenditure.

President Banda said on the question of the recent demands by the public service including the support by political leaders on the rejection of the awarded 15 per cent salary increment, that government was constrained in terms of resources.

He said he was concerned that the nation had experienced strike action by some sections of the public service although it was difficult to meet the demands as presented.

And President Banda has disassociated himself from the purchase of hearses recently purchased from China.

He said while he appreciated that Zambians needed to offer a decent send off or burial to their relatives and families, he said the procurement never at any point come across the matter in the cabinet meeting.

He said he was not privy to the deal that he said was handled outside Cabinet but directly by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.

He said he had not stopped anyone including former minister Sylvia Masebo from talking about the hearse deal, adding that he needed more information like the rest of the public.

More follows.