By MacDonald Chipenzi
DEMAND TO FIRE EVERYONE LEFT OR APPOINTED BY THE PF AND REPLACE THEM WITH UPND APPOINTED OFFICIALS IS GOVERNANCE RETROGRESIVENESS!
Yes PF was corrupt, lawless and practiced maladministration to the core and, in accordance with the provision of the party constitution, employed partisans in these state positions such as PSs, LEAs and other state institutions and parastatals.
I personally find the demand on President HH to fire all PF appointed government officials and diplomats almost immediately as irrational and against the spirit and tenets of good governance.
The reasons being advanced for such a dramatic and drastic measure is, to a large extent, selfish and confrontational Which undermines the spirit of smooth transition.
The new Dawn government has been in power for just 30 days out of the 5 years mandate it has been given by the people of Zambia.
Those who have been appointed directors before to head an institution will agree with me that you don’t just get into the institution and start overhauling staff overnight.
The hiring and replacement is done gradually after due diligence and for the preservation of institutional memory until as CEO, you are finally done with old staff.
Over the fear that the new appointees are vetted by the old system and undermining the new administration, I beg to differ because, despite the system being intact with old staff, the UPND as a party is an institution which has been in existence for the past 23 years and must have a system it has been using to vet officials esp in adoption as candidates and also appointment to National Management Committee.
Therefore, am of the view that a duo vetting system can be applied before someone is finally appointed perhaps the reasons some appointment have questions here and there because UPND may be overriding the state vetting systems due to various reasons.
To this end, President HH must be given space to appoint people, not in haste, but with due diligence than forcing him to overhaul the establishment which may create institutional memory deficits.
Even when the old regime and appointees are in charge, the new dawn government system could have already infiltrated the state system and knows who is who and who is not.
The thirsty and hunger for jobs in government among diehard supporters of UPND, after being in opposition for 23 years, may be real and justified but forcing your leader to do things haphardly is more dangerous to him and the nation at large.
IN essence, as the country embarks of reforms, transition must be for 5 months I.e. from August to December 31.
The new government must start work in January preceding an election to pave way for smooth handovers, acclimatisation of appointed staff and those appointed by the new government will referred to as Minister designate, PS designate, Ambassador designate etal until January.
This will enable the new government deal with issues of staff appointments, vetting and ratifications, swearing in and oath taking and approval of the creation of new ministries and departments than the haste we are seeing now as if the mandate is ending in a day.
It will also allow the new government present its budget in readiness for execution in January when the financial year starts than expecting execution of another administration’s budget to fulfil electoral promises.
I submit
McDonald Chipenzi