APPOINTMENT OF UPND CADRES WITH ACTIVE PARTY POSITIONS INTO THE CIVIL SERVICE UNSETTLES SP
…..with Lusaka and Luangwa DCs, Levy Ngoma, Patrick Mucheleka, Comrade Nduba, Mrs Kabwiko among others named as culprits
Lusaka…. Tuesday, August 23, 2022 (Smart Eagles)
The President promised the Zambian people that he was going to depoliticize the public service but what is it that has changed, Zambia’s fastest growing opposition Socialist Party (SP) has wondered.
SP National Chairperson for Youth and Security Kelvin Kaunda has questioned why some UPND members have appointments in the civil service without relinquishing their active political positions.
Among the people Mr Kaunda mentioned who are holding such posisitons is the Political Adviser to President Hakainde Hichilema.
“We have seen a situation where party members in the UPND have been assigned public service jobs without them having to relinquish their portfolios…. we are talking about facts and these are facts that we can prove beyond any reasonable doubt,” he said.
“The first one I want you to take as an example is Levy Ngoma, Political Adviser to the President who even now as speak is Chairperson for Agriculture in the National Management Committee (NMC) of the UPND.. The current Luangwa District Commissioner is also UPND District Chairperson and you expect the forthcoming by-election in Luangwa to be free and fair?”
Mr Patrick Mucheleke is also among the people he singled out as examples.
Mr Kaunda also raised concerns against the appointment of the Canadian based Lawyer Elias Munshya due to his dual citizenship.
“We have got comrade Patrick Mucheleka who is PS special duties. As we speak, he is still the Deputy Secretary General of the UPND. We have got comrade Nduba, who is the Deputy Chairperson for Local Government Service Commission who is at the same time Vice Chairperson Election under the UPND. Rosa Zulu, the current Lusaka District Commissioner is also the Provincial Chairlady for UPND,” he said.
“What is even more surprising is that even citizens with dual citizenship have been given diplomatic appointments. Comrades like Elias Munshya…tell me, where is his allegiance, is it to Zambia or Canada. I leave it for the Zambian people to decide. Are you telling me that this country is short of young people that can take up some of these positions?”
He wondered if the country has no youths who deserve to have the mentioned appointments.
“I personally come from Matero Constituency and I am alive to the fact that in Matero comrades, the UPND had a candidate in the name of Tom Michelo. This is a guy that got 48,000 or more votes for the President,” he said.
“Today some of these people are languishing in the streets, are they not better placed to be given some of these assignments other than giving these individuals with dual citizenship who don’t even stay in this country?”
Mr Kaunda also wondered why young people have been left out “only to appoint senior comrades in the name of Panji Kaunda.”
He further named “Mrs Kabwiko” as a known senior member of the UPND who is now serving in the Zambia Police Service.
“We also have Mrs Kabwiko, who is a Commissioner in the Police Service . Mrs Kabwiko is still a member of the National Management Committee and yet serving as a Commissioner under the Zambia Police Service,” he said.
“Is it possible that these appointments we saw or the firing of police officers that they could be attributed to UPND members who are serving at a very high level? Could it be possible that we of a political class will have to fear for our lives that every time we are taken to police we are not sure whether the police will work independently without any form of interference from their leaders.”
Meanwhile, Mr Kaunda said that Zambians do not want a public service which is politicized.
He said the President promised citizens that he was going to depoliticize the public service “but what is it that has changed? What has gone wrong? Why is it that we have more people with active party positions serving in our public service?”
“And this is the public service that you expect to serve the Zambian people to the best of their interests. Is it possible that such a public service would give the Zambian people the very best? And the answer is no.”