By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Reshuffles Welcome but…
…..Dismissals of some ministers who have been cited in corruption or their Ministries have failed to deliver public service would have been welcome….
Listening to President Hakainde Hichilema one learns that he is frustrated at why public service is not being delivered, why programmes have stalled and procurements of goods and services including medicines are taking far longer than necessary.
He wants issues resolved in an efficient manner like the culture is with the private sector.
Unfortunately the civil service and public officials will not engage in irregular procurements, implementation of illegal decisions and delivery of services using lawlessness..
This is what has affected Constituency Development Fund(CDF) and public procurements of medicines or infrastructure as the political guidance is in conflict with financial and procurement regulations amd procedures.
He may fire as many Permanent Secretaries, however the financial and public procurement regulations have to be followed and the officers will not be enablers of corruption as demanded by Ministers…or they will be in trouble in the future.
■ Reshuffles are welcome but….
■ Dismissal of Inspector General, who unfortunately has been highly partisan and incompetent, was engaged in a public tiff with Special Assitant for Legal Affairs at State House, Christopher Mundia. Mundia was interfereing with a critical investigations where millions meant for former Ghanaian teachers have been stolen. So it appears that Kajoba may have been sacrificed using his weaknesses.
■ The President seems to have supported the corrupt procurement of $120million medicines from Egypt by Ministry of Health. It appears Silvia Masebo does no wrong except her Permanent Secretaries!
The medicines have not undergone efficacy tests and the procurement is using an agency that will contract other manufacturers! He has fired the previous Health PS and appointed a new one to expedite payments and dispatch of the medicines. He has expressed general frustrations on government slow wheels and services are not moving!
Sadly it is the law, procedures, procurement and financial regulations have to be followed.
Circumventing these processes is perpetuating or promoting lawlessness.
These measures are designed to curb corruption and encourage procurements that promote value for public processes.
■ President Hichilema wants speedy procurement of Infrastructure using Public Private Partnership model. That process has also been marred with corrupt tendencies and the structure not appraling as one private contractor has taken centre stage in the Chingola-Chililabombwe-Kasumbalesa and Lusaka-Ndola Dual Carriage-Way roads.
■ The President’s comments against political violence and rise of cadreism especially in markets, bus stops and by-elections are encouraging. However his new directives to the new Inspector General of Police sounds rhetorical and the stern warning serves no purpose as Kajoba flatly ignored these instructions in favour of the UPND cadres and no action was taken against him.