Maravi

Politics has caused despondency in civil service, says Hamududu

Politics has caused despondency in civil service, says Hamududu
By Ernest Chanda
Thu 15 Apr. 2010, 03:40 CAT

BWEENGWA UPND parliamentarian Highvie Hamududu has observed that currently there is despondency in the civil service because of excessive politics.

And Hamududu has challenged the ruling party to set the pace for issue-based politics. In an interview, Hamududu said those in the ruling party had politicised the civil service to a point where civil servants felt unappreciated in national development. He said the situation had resulted in civil servants losing interest in several national issues.

“In my view, the civil service has been weakened by excessive politics. There is a lot of despondency to a level where civil servants feel un-appreciated in the governance of this country. Politicians, especially those in the ruling party have failed to provide a clear roadmap to our civil service.

And this has frustrated our colleagues in the civil service, making them stand aloof in most cases,” Hamududu observed. “Instead of giving proper guidance on the economic development of the country politicians in the ruling party are busy parroting. And because of excessive politics, the civil servants lose interest in performing to their ability. They fail to see a clear political direction because there is nothing to inspire them from the political leadership.”

He said the civil service was full of credible people who could not withstand poor leadership. Hamududu warned that the MMD risked losing control of the civil service because of excessive politicking even when it was not necessary.

“We should not create a situation of hopelessness in them because they need motivation in every sense. So if the politics are not issue-based, those in office lose control over the civil service. The civil service basically moves in tandem with politicians; if we bring issues they also follow suit. And as a politician if you bring pettiness in the civil service, you lose control over them,” he said.

“They take you as a nuisance and take their own course. We need also to set a clear training programme for them. This will inspire them to work even harder because they will know the levels of leadership they have to aspire for. They know that from a clerk I’ll become a senior clerk; then they go on until they reach the ceiling of permanent secretary.”

He said there was little morale in the civil service because of too much politics.

“But at the moment there is very little morale in the civil service because the position of permanent secretary has been given up to cadres. I believe that in any organisation you join you don’t expect to be stuck to a lower level.

You must have some position to aspire for and that will inspire you in your daily performance,” Hamududu said.

“But now there must be very few directors in the civil service who are inspired because all the permanent secretary positions have been politicised through the appointment of cadres.

This has caused serious despondency in the civil service, and the MMD government should take the blame.”

And Hamududu said the current level of politics the ruling party exhibited was not inspiring.
“My concern is the level of our politics at the moment in Zambia. The politics that are there are not inspiring to the Zambian people. And the challenge is on the ruling party to set the pace for issue-based politics. I think many: the voters and the Zambian people in general are complaining about the low level of our political engagement in the country,” Hamududu said.

“But in any society those who are in the driving seat must set the pace for serious political engagement. And the current political despondency we have should be blamed on those in the ruling party who have not set the pace for issue-based politics. They must be in the lead because they are the ones that are running the affairs of the country.”

He called for a break from politics of insults and name calling.
“You cannot have a situation where opposition parties are insulted daily by those in the ruling party through the state media. The most disappointing thing is that even the Republican President takes the lead in insulting his counterparts in the opposition,” remarked Hamududu.

“The President will say this about Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata, and you hear him say another thing about UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema. I don’t think all of us in the opposition are irrelevant to the governance of this country.

The truth is we are all relevant and we should not be treated like second class citizens. The MMD should not blame us in the opposition that we are championing non-issue based politics, no. Let them set the pace for clean politics and we shall follow suit.”

Labels: CIVIL SERVANTS, HIGHVIE HAMUDUDU

posted by MrK @ 3:03 PM