28 COUNCIL WORKERS FIRED OVER FRAUD – NKOMBO
TWENTY-EIGHT council workers have been dismissed from their positions for various offences this year, Parliament learnt yesterday.And Matero Member of Parliament (MP) Miles Sampa called for disbandment of the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC).
The local authority employees were fired for fraud, misapplication of funds, forging documents, falsification and distortion. In a policy statement on LGSC, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Gary Nkombo said he expects council workers to execute their duties diligently without disgracing Government. “Employees are expected to fulfil their lawful obligation to Government with professionalism without bringing the service into disrepute,” he said.
Contributing to the debate, Mr Sampa was of the view that the commission should be disbanded because the United Party for National Development (UPND) can easily control councils without LGSC.
The former Lusaka mayor said currently councils have no powers because they receive instructions from the commission.“This money we are passing [in the budget] is just for their personal emoluments and allowances. “How do you expect a commission that sits in Lusaka to know what is happening at Kaputa Council and they take a trip there to fire someone?” Mr Sampa said.
He said some mayors who had good ideas like installing Wi-Fi in public places failed to perform because town clerks were instructed not to implement such pronouncements.Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo said it is unfortunate that the previous administration politicised and used the commission to employ cadres.
Ms Masebo, who is also former minister of Local Government and Housing, said the commission should be used to promote professionalism in local authorities.“Things are different now, we are employing doctors, professors and other people with papers not because of favours.
We can only hope that the commission will employ people on merit,” she said.Kamfinsa MP Christophe KANGOMBE PF who is former Kitwe mayor, wants the commission to employ right people to manage the K25.7 million Constituency Development Fund allocated to each constituency in next year’s national budget.
In winding up debate, Mr Nkombo pledged to normalise the relationship between LGSC and councils so that they are able to work in harmony.Meanwhile, appointment of cadres in public service was the centre of debate under the Civil Service Commission, with Mpika Central MP Francis Kapyanga (PF) urging the new dawn administration to stop appointing political party leaders in the civil service.
Mr Kapyanga said such people fail to perform professionally because of vested interests.Chama North MP Yotam Mutayachalo (PF) said politicians have destroyed the civil service because of appointing cadres in government.
Mr Mutayachalo said during former President Kenneth Kaunda’s administration, people were appointed on merit.“But now even cadres are appointed as permanent secretaries.
We will not stop having reports from the Auditor General because of the calibre of people who are being appointed into the civil service,” he said.But Vice-President W.K.
Mutale-Nalumango said: “It is wrong to appoint unqualified cadres just because they threw stones for you. We are all cadres because we belong to some political party. We have employed qualified people.