PRESIDENT HICHILEMA’S APPOINTMENTS
By Kellys Kaunda
Whoever the President appoints and to whatever position he makes the appointment, like past Presidents, he will face similar constraints and limitations thus making similar appointments and most likely producing similar results.
The President will appoint Zambians – the same pool his predecessors has drawn from; the President will appoint both men and women as his predecessors did; the President will blend both the young and the old as before; some will be very educated while others not so educated.
Some appointments will surely be merited while others will raise eyebrows because some members of the public know something about them that does not agree with their definition of merit. Some of those appointed will have questionable credibility issues while others will come across as impeccable.
Some civil servants will be moved upwards by way of promotions while others will be moved elsewhere and yet others frustrated out of their jobs because the new dispensation has become intolerant or not welcoming.
Some appointments will be controversial for reasons that may include regional representation politics while others may be of a gender balancing nature.
One of the common statements among all the appointing authorities is that they have put in place a team like no other and that they are competent men and women who will deliver on the expectations of the Zambian people.
On the policy front, the blueprint has been largely similar – more of liberal economic principles with sprinkles of social democratic principles here and there.
From Kaunda to Hichilema, this is the scenario I have seen play out like a movie you have watched a couple of times before.
But, like the old saying, the devil is in the detail. Perhaps, I need more analytical tools, especially from the school of policy analysis, to pick out details that may have been missed by the broad sweep of my broom.
In all fairness, it would be arrogant of me to assume my analysis is adequate to capture the impact of the policies of the New Dawn government. Academic integrity has taught me humility which is normally absent among politicians as they contend for the supremacy of their ideas.
Next time, I will use a system’s or organizational culture approach to seek an understanding of President Hichilema’s style of governance and what changes he may have brought that may not have been seen before.