THE CIVIL SERVICE IS NOT A POLITICAL REWARD
THE CIVIL SERVICE IS NOT A POLITICAL REWARD
There is something fundamentally wrong with the idea that a civil servant should lose their job simply because they did not support the President or because they celebrated an opposition candidate’s claimed victory.
If the reported remarks by UPND Lusaka Province Chairperson Obvious Mwaliteta are accurately reported, then this is a matter that should concern every Zambian – regardless of political party.
The Constitution requires the Public Service to operate on principles including impartiality, fairness, accountability and merit. It also provides that a public officer should not be removed, demoted or punished without just cause and due process. The Constitution further protects against discrimination based on political opinions.
So let us be very clear: a civil servant’s job is to serve the Republic of Zambia, not to worship the President or belong to the ruling party.
BUT – and this is where I will also tell civil servants the truth – you cannot use your government position to openly campaign for a political party, frustrate government programmes because you dislike the President, or turn a government office into a political party office.
Zambian electoral law places restrictions on active partisan political activity by public officers while they are in the public service. (Parliament of Zambia)
Therefore, if a civil servant genuinely committed misconduct, investigate them, prove the offence and follow the law. Don’t compile political hit lists and decide someone’s employment based on who they supported.
And to my friends in the opposition: don’t celebrate the principle of political neutrality today and forget it tomorrow when your party eventually gets into government. The same standard must apply to UPND, PF, Tonse, or whichever party is in power.
We have seen this movie before in Zambia: when a new government comes in, there are always accusations that civil servants are being punished because of their political affiliations. If we genuinely want to build institutions, we must break that cycle.
Government changes. Presidents change. Political parties change. But the Civil Service must remain.
The question should never be “Who did this civil servant support?”
The question should be:
“Did this public officer perform their duties professionally, impartially and according to the law?”
If the answer is yes, leave them alone.
If the answer is no, follow the disciplinary process and let the evidence speak.
Zambia belongs to all of us – not to whichever political party happens to be in power.
Jackson Demus Phiri
Media Personality