Dr. Katema is new Chiefs minister

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Edgar Lungu - Dr. Joseph Katema
Edgar Lungu - Dr. Joseph Katema

By CHARITY MOONGA

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has appointed Joseph Katema as Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister.
Dr Katema was Information and Broadcasting Services Minister in the previous Cabinet.
The President has reverted Bwalya Ng’andu to the Bank of Zambia as Deputy Governor -operations. Dr Ng’andu has been on secondment to the civil service as permanent secretary for Muchinga Province.
Mr Lungu has further introduced two positions for deputy Inspector General of police to better assist with operations and administration of the police service.
Speaking at State House when he swore in six new appointees yesterday, Mr Lungu urged the servicemen to respect the Constitution and their superiors.
Among those sworn in were former Barclays Bank managing director Margaret Mwanakatwe who was sworn in as Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Dr Katema, Lusaka Mayor Mulenga Sata as Deputy Minister at State House, and Luapula Province Permanent Secretary Boniface Chimbwali.
Others were Registrar of Societies Kakoma Kanganja as Deputy Inspector of Police and Zambia Air Force deputy commander David Muma.
Mr Lungu warned the servicemen against disrespecting their superiors.
“In politics it is easy to undermine your superiors but ours is to respect our superiors. As commander in chief of the armed forces, I have the Zambian Constitution at heart. Don’t report directly to me, report to your superiors,” he said.
Mr Lungu said he would soon sign a statutory instrument to have two deputy IGs in charge of administration and operations.
The chain of command should be followed and professionalism should be upheld at all times.
“If you want to join politics, leave the service, come and join us,” he said.
Addressing Mr Katema, Mr Lungu urged him to use his temperament to pay homage to chiefs. Mr Katema should not interfere in the succession processes for chiefs.
Mr Lungu urged Ms Mwanakatwe to rise to the challenge of being the Commerce minister and improve the small-scale industries.
He urged Mr Sata to help bring sanity in both Lusaka offices and on the streets.
Mr Lungu told Mr Chimbwali to ignore critics and focus on developing Luapula Province.
Later in an interview, Ms Mwanakatwe thanked Mr Lungu for the appointment saying it was a mammoth task but she would do everything possible to address issues of infrastructure which were critical to development.
She would also ensure that the youths were allowed to excel and that Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambiaproduced fertilisers for the farmers in the country.
Mr Sata pledged to continue with the Lusaka City Council programmes and maximise the value from assets and assist run the council as a business.
Mr Sata would also assist bring sanity to Lusaka markets and bus stations.
In a separate interview, Mr Chimbwali said he would work at maximising the benefits of the water resource in Luapula Province and avoid the further depletion of fish in the Lake Mweru.
He would also focus on improving the mining sector in the province.
In reverting Dr Ng’andu to his previous position, Mr Lungu said the position of deputy BOZ Governor for operations was a critical position especially at a time when Zambia faced intractable challenges in both the domestic and global economies.
“There is a compelling need to use monetary policy to stimulate the economy and it cannot be business as usual,” Mr Lungu said in a letter to Dr Ng’andu.
This is according to a statement by the President’s special assistant for Press and public relations, Amos Chanda.
Government’s intention to lower the interest rates in order for small businesses to access bank facilities.
“It is my sincere hope that you will reinforce the Governor and initiate meaningful dialogue with commercial banks to close some avoidable loopholes that induce injurious outflows of our meagre foreign exchange,” Mr Lungu told Dr Ngandu.

 

Times of Zambia

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