ZAF commits to a transparent recruitment process

Zambia Airforce (ZAF) Deputy Commander, Major General Benedict Kalinda has assured the public of a transparent and fair recruitment exercise of officers.

Maj Gen Kalinda said all applicants will be given equal opportunities regardless of which province they hail from provided they meet the requirements.

He said the recruitment exercise will be done on merit in a manner that will not discredit the integrity and name of the institution.

“As regards the recruitment exercise, let me assure you, sir, that the Airforce will consider all applications from across the country and give due diligence to each and every applicant, those that will be selected will be done so on merit,” he said.

Maj Gen Kalinda was speaking in Solwezi today when he called on Northwestern Province Permanent Secretary, Willies Mangimela.

And the ZAF Deputy Commander appealed to the Northwestern Province Administration to consider securing land in resettlement schemes.

He said the Airforce would like to contribute to the nation’s food basket by engaging in farming activities especially during times of peace.

He said the Airforce would like to respond to the call made by President Edgar Lungu on the need for the defence and security wings to play a role in contributing to the food basket of the country.

“We appeal to your administration to consider securing us land in resettlement schemes where we can be doing some farming in peace times, we have started in Chisamba and we would like to expand to all the ten provinces since we now have formations,” he said.

Mr Mangimela thanked the ZAF Deputy Commander for the assurance, saying there has been complaints in the past regarding the recruitment exercise.

He appealed to the command to consider decentralizing the process of receiving applications through the formations in provinces so as to enable would-be applicants in far flung areas to lodge in their applications.

“I’m grateful for the assurance deputy commander, but I would like to state that consider using your formations to receive the applications then forward them to Lusaka. If our people from Ikelenge or Chavuma send the applications to Lusaka it would take one month for them to reach. Again consider making the application period a bit longer in the future so that our young people in far places can also have an opportunity to apply,” Mr Mangimela said.

Meanwhile, Mr Mangimela thanked the Zambia Airforce for the services it has continued to render to the province when called upon in times of disasters.

The ZAF Deputy Commander is in the province to check on projects as well as the operational activities and welfare of officers.