Zambian Civil Service’s Lavish Expenditure Curbed

Lusaka, June 7, 2024 – SECRETARY to the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service in Zambia Patrick Kangwa has stopped unnecessary expenditure among Zambia’s civil service.

In a press conference held Lusaka Friday June 7th, Kangwa said Zambia’s civil service ought to support the rallying call by the country’s president H.E. Hakainde Hichilema for prudent use of resources, especially now that the country was in a national emergency sparked by the drought.

He identified the energy deficit that has led to over 12 hours of load shedding to be experienced in Zambia, the Secretary to the Cabinet said the directive was that all ministers and Government offices must now be powered by solar and other alternative energy sources ‘so all power be channeled to farmers and industry’.

Kangwa also directed that no lavish expenditure on conference facilities and out of town workshops and offered that cabinet office and other government boardrooms be used to host meetings.

On expensive travel, he noted a bad habit by senior civil servants traveling out of town ‘just to open workshops.’

He directed that all civil servants not entitled to drive government (GRZ) vehicles surrender back these vehicles to their controllers and that the competency certificates issued to them by Ministry of Works and supply be withdrawn from them. Kangwa said all government vehicles must be parked by 17 hours. He encouraged use of green transport such as electric vehicles giving an example of himself who drives a small electric and that he has not been to a fueling station in months.

On tribal balancing, the Secretary to the Cabinet urged those handling employment into the civil service to ensure that people are employed based on merit and not tribe or skin ton. However, for those found wanting in their civil service duties, Kangwa said the habit of transferring undisciplined civil servants must come to an end. He said culprits must be charged, disciplined or even fired from the civil service.

It is yet to be seen for how long civil servants will adhere to these directions and how long it will take before the GRZ vehicles and out of town workshops are back in fashion.