Maravi

Sacika attributes corruption in civil service to appointment of cadres

COMMENT - Maybe that is why the Agriculture special at ZambiaBlogtalkradio was so uneventful. All these officials sounded like they barely knew anything about their own business. Did we really need to know the names of the ministries that are involved in agriculture? They didn't have anything insightful to say about the subject.

Sacika attributes corruption in civil service to appointment of cadres
By Agness Changala
Sun 07 Mar. 2010, 06:50 CAT

FORMER secretary to the cabinet Sketchley Sacika has attributed the inefficiency, lack of commitment and corruption in the civil service to the appointing of unqualified political cadres as permanent secretaries.

On Monday, outgoing Southern Province permanent secretary Darius Hakayobe said there was no permanent secretary who was not a politician and pleaded with his successor Gladys Kristafor to look after provincial minister Daniel Munkombwe.

Commenting on Hakayobe's sentiments, Sacika said most of the permanent secretaries were not qualified for their positions because of such political appointments.

“They are not qualified because the ruling MMD has become a recruiting ground,” he said.

“Politicisation of the civil service won't make the government perform well, more especially if we do not attach the aspect of professionalism where men and women will compete for positions based on their qualifications.”

He said those in the government played double standards because while they asked civil servants not to engage in politics, it suited them to appoint political cadres to important positions like permanent secretaries and district commissioners.

Sacika said permanent secretaries were not supposed to be politicians but administrators. He said claims by Hakayobe that permanent secretaries were politicians were misconstrued and misunderstood.

“If the post were not permanent, they would have given it a different name but it's unfortunate that they have turned it into a political post,” he said.

Sacika said Hakayobe's sentiments were not surprising because they were a reflection of what was happening in the government.

“The essence of the government has been entrenched in a one party mode, “ he said.

“We are supposed to be a multiparty state but the way the government conducts its affairs still reflects what used to happen in one party state.”

Sacika said the ruling MMD, like in the one party state, had taken over state institutions like the parastatal organisations and all these at civil service level were being controlled by their political cadres.

Sacika said the civil service both at permanent secretary and director levels was now controlled by party cadres.

“The question is, should that be case? “ The answer is no!” he said.

Sacika said the civil service belonged to men and women who were appointed or promoted based on their qualifications.

Labels: CADRES, CIVIL SERVANTS, CORRUPTION, DARIUS HAKAYOBE, DR. SKETCHLEY SACIKA, PATRONAGE, PERMANENT SECRETARIES

posted by MrK @ 7:18 PM