Minister warns defiant civil servants

Central province minister Davies Chisopa has warned civil servants  employed under Chitambo district but are currently still in Serenje to immediately report to their work station.

Mr Chisopa sounded the warning when he addressed a meeting attended by Chitambo district government officials including the District Commissioner and Heads of Departments yesterday.

 

ZANIS reports that Mr  Chisopa who is also Member of Parliament for Mkushi South Constituency said he had been prompted to give an ultimatum for the civil servants to move from Serenje as they had over stayed.

He said the late President Michael Sata had a mission to bring government services closer to the people hence creating new districts but wondered whom the workers working in Serenje were servicing adding that they needed to be closer to where the services are required.

“The late President created new districts so that services are brought closer to the people, whom are you servicing while in Serenje, is that were the services are required?”, he asked.

He added that it was not in order for the workers to get rural hardship allowance as they did not meet the required criteria.

“You people are even getting rural hardship allowance which you’re not supposed to be getting, that is equivalent to theft,” he said.

Mr Chisopa said he was not there to create enemies or to intimidate the workers but to spearhead the implementation of programs by the Patriotic Front in Central Province.

He urged workers to desist from working in isolation but communicate freely with him as good services could  only be attainable if everyone attached commitment in terms of reporting for work on time, good communication and attending to the public when and wherever they need services.

“I do not want to be seen as a bad person, let us just commit ourselves to good service delivery,” he said.

“As I go back I expect all those civil servants who are not in Chitambo to be in Chitambo,”he emphasized.

He said Chitambo District should serve the purpose for which it was created and that eventually people will appreciate the good services being provided by the government of the day.

And Central Province Permanent Secretary Edwidge Mutale said the Chitambo district members of staff were not making any efforts to move to their area of appointment .

Mrs Mutale cited Luano as an example of a new district where the civil servants had made efforts by living in tents.

“Chitambo staff think they should not be bothered and that they are above board, but if anything happens, I’ am sorry I can’t defend you like I did Luano. Luano workers were living in tents, why can’t you find houses in the villages nearby?”  She said.

She said Chitambo employees do not have the spirit and commitment for work and only showed humbleness when they were looking for jobs.

“When we are looking for jobs, we are desperate and very humble but once we get the job we see our employers as fools,” she said.