Maravi

Employing PF cadres is betrayal - CCZ

Employing PF cadres is betrayal - CCZ
By Kombe Chimpinde
Wed 14 Mar. 2012, 11:58 CAT

THE Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) has maintained that the appointment of cadres to the civil service is a danger to the governance system of the country.

Reacting to President Michael Sata's statement during the commemoration of Youth Day in Lusaka indicating that there was nothing wrong with appointments of cadres, Rev Reuben Mwale, the CCZ president, said the PF government's U-turn over the appointments of cadres to the civil service as against the pledges and promises made before the September 20, 2011 elections.

President Sata, when reacting to opposition political party claims that the government was employing cadres in professional positions, said everyone was a cadre.

"…there are people who are saying we should not employ cadres. If we don't employ cadres who are we going to employ? Because everyone, the police, the army and Zambia National Service are cadres," said President Sata.

But Mwale insisted that appointing cadres to the civil service was not in the interest of the country's governance system.

"Much as we would not want to go into a direct confrontation with the government in the media, we find it rather unfortunate that his response to the issue that was meant to remind him of their (PF) own promises when they were campaigning and also firing civil servants, district commissioners and recently when he (President) was swearing Secretary to the Cabinet, he said they still have to cleanse civil servants that are still sympathetic to the MMD, meaning that there is an acknowledgement that having civil servants that are politically inclined affect delivery of services in the public service," Rev Mwale said.

"Now what is happening by justifying that he can appoint cadres, it meant we will always have civil service that is politically inclined. When there is change of government it means all civil servants are going to be removed and that creates instability in the system of governance. This is a body that carries continuity of governance. The President's statement is a betrayal to his own pledge and promise during the campaign..."

Rev Mwale said although CCZ was appreciative of the fact that some of the cadres qualified for various positions they held, the church mother body still felt that civil servants must not be engaged on the basis of their political affiliations.

"Whilst we know that there cannot be a clear stop from engaging cadres, they will because cadres are also Zambians. They have got qualifications, but where the tag of being PF cadre becomes an added advantage, as Wynter Kabimba had indicated, then it creates a problem and danger to the governance of this country," said Rev Mwale.

Labels: CADRES, CCZ, MICHAEL SATA, PF, WYNTER KABIMBA

posted by MrK @ 7:06 PM