Maravi

Sata calls for civil service cleanup

Sata calls for civil service cleanup
By Roy Habaalu and Bright Mukwasa
Fri 21 Oct. 2011, 15:10 CAT

THE appointment of political party cadres in the public civil service has led to the worsening levels of corruption, a situation which needs urgent cleansing, says President Michael Sata. And President Sata has dissolved the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) board with immediate effect.

Swearing in foreign affairs permanent secretary Ambassador Peter Kasanda and Public Service Management Division permanent secretary Dr Roland Msiska at State House yesterday, President Sata said political cadres appointed in the service were more obligated to their sponsoring party than to the public.

"There are so many cadres or MMD cadres who are creating a lot of difficulties for those who have been appointed district commissioners please let me have a report. We want Zambia for Zambians not Zambia for MMD or Zambia for PF. It must be Zambia for Zambians," President Sata said.

"The country would be creating problems by appointing party cadres in public service because their allegiance is to a political party and when that political party was no longer in power their allegiance changes to corruption."
On the new foreign affairs permanent secretary, President Sata urged him to clean up the foreign service.

"I welcome you to foreign affairs and you are not new to foreign affairs but foreign affairs has got a lot of cobwebs you have to help Zambia to remove those cobwebs in foreign affairs," he said.

President Sata said the former foreign affairs ministry complained when he wiped out the entire mission leaving only one person.

"Our duty is to remove cobwebs, Public Service Commission remove the cobwebs because once we remove the cobwebs then people will be attended to. We should not look at the face of the person or ask them what (political) card you carry for us to attend to you. Zambia's are entitled to a service by this government.

Zambians are entitled to serve in any position not only to serve PF because the people who voted some of them don't know how to shout the PF slogan but they need the service and we are not going to provide employment in to all the Zambians who voted but if we provide services to these people then they are going to appreciate. Let's make a change for this government," President Sata said.

And President Sata said government would have to assess the performance of the ZAWA board if it was to be reconstituted.

"There are certain other institutions which have more respect for animals than for human beings. I have today dissolved the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) board and I have to look at it to reconstitute it. If you look in our prisons there are more people related to ZAWA (wildlife related offences) than other offences. We cannot run a country like that, God gave us animals for our admiration not animals to turn against us," he said.

On Finance Bank Zambia whose sale was reversed recently, President Sata has said the Ministry of Justice had effectively dealt with the fraudulent sale of the bank.

"And the report is underway on the corrupt sale of Zamtel shortly as soon as we have the report which the Honorable minister has instituted with his colleagues," said President Sata.

Labels: CIVIL SERVANTS, CORRUPTION, FINANCE BANK, MICHAEL SATA, ZAMTEL, ZAWA

posted by MrK @ 5:37 PM