President Edgar Lungu has challenged investigative wings that probe corruption cases to be serious and conclusive in their operations.
President Lungu said those tasked with investigating such matters should inform him when they face challenges so that they can be provided with the help needed to execute their duties.
The Head of State made these remarks at State House in Lusaka today during a swearing-in ceremony for newly appointed Permanent Secretaries.
“Right now there is talk of government being corrupt, no we are not corrupt but what is becoming obvious is that those who make noise about corruption fail to prove their actions and those who are charged with the responsibility of investigating corruption are not going out to investigate and bring this war to court,” the President explained.
He added that the fight against corruption is not his job alone saying it requires concerted efforts from all stakeholders.
And President Lungu has urged all the newly appointed Permanent Secretaries to use their individual vast experiences and skills to bring a new dimension to the operations of the public service.
“You are now Permanent Secretaries charged with the responsibility of ensuring the smooth implementation of the various government policies, programmes and regulations falling under your respective ministries, provinces and other spending agencies. I urge you to take a keen interest in understanding the respective roles of your institutions in the development agenda of our great nation, which is clearly articulated in the seventh National Development Plan and vision 2030,” the President said.
The President further urged the Permanent Secretaries not to lose sight of their very critical role of being the chief advisors to the ministers in terms of articulating government policies and procedures.
“Do not fall prey to the temptation of antagonising your ministers. This growing tendency among some permanent secretaries is creating a toxic environment in the ministries and consequently affecting performance and service delivery,” he noted.
President Lungu reiterated that government is in a hurry to deliver on its promises to the people of Zambia hence changes will be made as and when necessary.
“I, therefore, expect hard work, professionalism and discipline from all of you as you take up your new positions. Once more, congratulations on your appointments and may God bless you,” the President stated.
The newly appointed Permanent Secretaries include Mr. Emmanuel Ngulube for the Ministry of Health, Mr. Matthew Ngulube for the Ministry of Local Government, Dr. John Phiri for the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Child Development and Mr. Royd Chakaba for Northern Province.
Others are Mr. Lenox Kalonde for the Ministry of Works and Supply, Mr. Patrick Lungu as Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism and Arts and Captain Davison Mulenga (Rtd), for Muchinga Province. Mr. Lungu was until today Director for the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) and has worked for the department for 29 years.
Meanwhile, President Lungu has transferred the Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Works and Supply Agnes Musunga to Cabinet Office in the same capacity but in charge of remunerations and Mr. Trevor Kaunda from Ministry of Energy to Ministry of National Planning in charge of Monitoring and Evaluation while Mr. Davies Chisenda has been moved from National Planning to Energy in the same capacity and Ms. Joyce Nsamba, who was Permanent Secretary for Muchinga Province, has been transferred to Southern Province in the same capacity respectively.
And the Head of State has terminated contracts for Permanent Secretaries for Northern Province Charles Sipanje, Youth, Sports and Child Development Joe Kapembwa, Cabinet Office Remuneration Division Sturdy Mwale, Bishop Edward Chomba Local Government, Ms. Mulalelo Kakulubelwa for Ministry of Health and Dr. Auxilia Ponga, who was Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism.
President Lungu said the termination of contracts for the said Permanent Secretaries is to enable some of them to go and pursue their political ambitions while for others it is because they have fallen short in terms of their conduct.
Really? Reshuffling same old garbage
Kwena pali wako ni wako apa! Bonse ba PS baku Chipata beka beka mwebantu shuwa!!. If this was cabinet members perhaps I wouldnt complain because they are political appointees who come from the ruling party. But the civil service by its nature employs all Zambia’s citizens not only people from Eastern Province so appointments should reflect the entire population. PSs are not supposed to be political appointees. They are professionals who are employed by government. When HH takes over and appoints everyone from Southern Province mwikalila pantu tamuletalika lelo ilyo kalila mwibala alesonta babululu bakwe beka beka mu boma.
How it works if the Zambians decide to trash their own Constitution to give Lungu a free pass to a third term bid. Many more in government leadership must expect to be thrown under the bus for Lungu has to salvage himself by crash implementing that which should have received attention during office tenure! Nearing day of reckoning with the real employers he wants to win hearts through sacrificing team members like pawns on a chess board with the comfort of diverting his non effectiveness in office to it being his right to appoint and disappoint! Time is up and power may be sweet but you pass the baton while running ahead to be of encouragement! Development is dynamic as new ideas replace aging ones!
Agony is your contract being terminated by an outgoing President. I wish to remind Edgar about what he told ACC when they arrested Chitotela. Even himself knows that most of his pronouncements on corruption don’t make sense. He’s in trouble
Excellent changes!!!
Yes outgoing in 2026
In fact the agony is that supporter of the most corrupt leader is lecturing others. President Lunug has walked the talk when it comes to zero tolerance on corruption.
Edgar Lungu is right here. Investigators and prosecutors are both at fault. If investigators do a poor job during investigation, a competent prosecutor will see the gaps and won’t rush to court to be embarrassed. Damn the ACC.
Former minister Harry Kalaba alleged massive corruption in Lungu’s government and he got vilified by PF bigwigs.Tis hypocrisy for Lungu to now say this.
The statement is hollow.
Zambia 1 is saying PSs are antagonising ministers, how? The very ministers who are corrupt shouldn’t be seen to be questioned by controlling officers? Shame!
Imagine going to Jonathan and asking. ‘Sir we are investigating you and you daughter for illegal export of mukala trees, can you give us the resources to carry out out duties’ . This is what Jonathan is telling the investigative teams. What a wank@r!
Sir we are investigating your daughter for fencing off state land. Can you please allow us to arrest her?
This blame game is rich with hypocrisy coming from a man who owns a mansion in eSwatini. Explain that shady acquisition Bwana Lungu.
Who is the State House Chief of Staff? There is no social distancing in that picture. Only masks. Yet Zambia is experiencing its second wave of Corona
Don’t be silly we have more urgent issues to deal with. Millions of deaths in diaspora and yet you are in lockdown so what is your point
Are you blind? Can’t you see the picture? Everyone is standing at safe distance from each other. And that same thing is called social distancing.
“…..what is becoming obvious is that those who make noise about corruption fail to prove their actions…….”
But your PF police arrested the UPND who showed illigaly obtained NRCs ???
This lungu is lying through his crooked teeth……firing sturdy mwale is just a cover up….lungu is feeling the heat of social media allegations of his corrupt GRZ
Manje tizachita bwanji? Ma investigators aba, awe sure! Kutibisila kolaption so!
Why does this report choose to give us the background of only one appointee, a Mr Lungu director of ZANIS when there are about 20appointees? Is the reporter telling us something about President Lungu’s relationship with this appointee?
Here we go again
Many congratulations to all the PSes who have been appointed
??????
My president I agree it is totally frustrating when you are trying to do right and those with capacity to help are sleeping. When we employ foreigners to do the job we are ridiculed. This is reason we seek external help in some instances. We will continue thr fight to root out bad eggs. Hh next to be investigated
The Chinese have a saying: “A fish rots from the Head downwards “. U can’t eradicate corruption when u are corrupt to the core. U can hide the fire but u can’t hide the smoke.
Some of those technocrats have in those positions for so long. Like wamuyayaya?
This president is very inconsistent, today is blaming investigation agents tomorrow says they are fighting not my ministers, awe kwena political gimmick its too late
President Lungu is supposed to tell the nation truth concerning corruption in Zambia. To state that Zambians are saying PF regime is corrupt and president Lungu says “no, we are not corrupt, no evidence has been brought to courts and those responsible of investigating, have failed to bring proof before the courts in fighting corruption”. President Lungu is not being honest in his statements about the loud chorus Zambians have made concerning corruption in the nation, PF corrupted lot, should not begin to mock Zambians by expressing disappointment over lack of evidence of corruption in the nation. The un completed Kabushi maternity ward in Ndola is one example of proof that money paid to do the project was stolen by Sturdy Mwale and president Lungu knows. Sturdy Mwale even boasted…
If you don’t trust President, then why not bring the evidence to prove the corruption? President Lungu has rightly said, so many allegations and complaints, but not even an iota of evidence! It is nothing but criminal waste of state resources on frivolous complaints.
Sturdy Mwale even boasted having bought a farm in Southern province cash of $2million. Firing Sturdy Mwale should not be the end of his corruption in denying Zambian mothers a decent place like a maternity ward whose money Sturdy Mwale stole. Zambians await ACC to swing in action now that president Lungu is blaming ACC as incompetent in their duties of investigating corruption. It takes a thief to catch a thief. Lusambo to that effect should not brag about the unfinished project in Kabushi Ndola for political mileage to be seen as a good boy. Lusambo is in fact exposing the stinking rot of PF regime of which he is part of.
After being twice in office and more than 6 years in government he is still doubting that there corruption in the PF government.
“Right now there is talk of government being corrupt, no we are not corrupt but what is becoming obvious is that those who make noise about corruption fail to prove their actions and those who are charged with the responsibility of investigating corruption are not going out to investigate and bring this war to court,” the President explained. Corruption and bribery is written over all the walls of Zambia under the PF government.
Really, Really ati ”there is talk” are we serious in fighting corruption in this Government ? Kuwayawaya fye. Come August 12, 2021, our vote will fire an hire like you have done today.
Bishop Chomba was antagonizing Mwale at Local Government. Sturdy is close to Lungu but greedy. he could have saved his friend from embarrassment by finishing a ka two room building. Sturdy could have even given that contract to some PF Cadre, since he eats big money with other known Goons that Edgar hangs out with.
Again to little too late when a lot of damage has been done…today under PF these civil servant positions have become heavily politized. As usual Lazy Lungu blaming everyone but himself!!
Tarino I await a detailed report from you with solutions and recommendations. Since you are the righteous professor tarino
My post expressing amazement at the President appointing PSs from only one region; namely Eastern Province has been censored by LT with their “awaiting moderation” lie. But my point stands. These are wako ni wako appointments. The Civil Service employs all Zambians so that should reflect at its top management level: PSs are supposed to be Civil Servants that have risen in the ranks-not party cadres like those in the cabinet- so theres no way only one region should dominate. But these appointments are telling us that when HH takes over we should not criticize him if he appoints only Southerners because One Zambia One Nation has been killed by post Kaunda leadership.
@Tarino-Too little too late for who and what?? ECL has just gotten one over you again-corruption is a myth at the rate we are going. Kambwili and then Kalaba told us way back in 2017 and 2018 that they will expose PF corruption but where is the evidence??? How many have been convicted?? That’s why upnd is getting pasted at the polls in August because they are full of hot air and sh!t, full of lies and conspiracy i.d.!.0.cy. Zambians need real stories through these hard times, not childish tantrums!!!
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My post expressing amazement at the President appointing PSs from only one region; namely Eastern Province has been censored by LT with their “awaiting moderation” lie. But my point stands. These are wako ni wako appointments. The Civil Service employs all Zambians so that should reflect at its top management level: PSs are supposed to be Civil Servants that have risen in the ranks-not party cadres like those in the cabinet- so theres no way only one region should dominate. But these appointments are telling us that when HH takes over we should not criticize him if he…
But these appointments are telling us that when HH takes over we should not criticize him if he appoints only people from Southern Province as PSs since we are all turning a blind eye to this tribalism from Lungu. The “leadership” that we have had from 1991 has killed the One Zambia One Nation tradition we were building. Lungu leka akapatulula
@Shikulu Tinaiza
Remember for HH to take over, people with these same names (like mine) will have to vote for him en-masse, therefore he should not repeat any bad practices but rather do the right thing
@Mulenga Tembo I agree with you. But all Iam saying is that we should be protesting such tribal acts even if we come from the tribes that are benefitting. We should not just watch ourselves marching to Rwanda when theres something we can do about it. Ati ba Humble president!
Wako ni wako!
Pursue political ambitions.
How come merit seems to be only found on one side of Zambia?
Yet they are paid from taxes that are collected from the greater Zambia.
Shikulu Tinaiza, The Saint, and Sven – You are the silly tribal bigots. Who said that just because one bears a surname from some region then they are from there? Do you know that some Eastern names are found in Lambaland and Northwestern? What of somebody called Sakala but his mother is Lozi which tribe do they belong to?
Kennedy Mubanga the Deputy PS for Southern province was undermining his PS hoping he was going to be promoted. He tried to bribe his way by paying the likes of PS chimbwali of PSMD and mr Himweene Mwiinga of State house. He bathed in charms and herbs but it di not work. He was even boasting that he was going to be promoted because is connected . where are you Kennedy Mubanga with your juju Mr Senegal?
These are the President’s word. …..“Right now there is talk of government being corrupt, no we are not corrupt but what is becoming obvious is that those who make noise about corruption fail to prove their actions and those who are charged with the responsibility of investigating corruption are not going out to investigate and bring this war to court,” the President explained….. Dr Lungu, sorry to say this but somehow you are to blame u are to slow to act and these PSs and other government senior workers have taken advantage . In short u are very week. You have sent them a silent message that you don’t act am sure its not just them and many like the 7
It is paradoxical that the Head of State talks this way and when the investigators try to do their work they are intimidated by cadres. We need to restore institutional jurisdiction and oversight.
Investigators are corrupt. The prosecutors are corrupt. The senior leaders are equally corrupt and don’t walk the talk. How do you expect to bring corruption under control?
Awe sure. Zambia my country.
Not Corrupt? Give Prime TV there licence Kaili
So that they Zambians can hear more about how Honey Bee supplied dubious meds to Ministry of health
How the Ex minister got Rich, Dr Chanda also found some dubiously awarded contracts the issue has now gone quite the Ntion is waiting to hear more about that.
At Cost were the 42 Fire tenders bought? is it @$1m each?
Ambulances?
Highway Roads?
Mc Toll gate construction at what cost?
Signing a $500milion Zesco Loan without cabinet
Containers of Mukula Logs Ex Zambia found in an Asian country
Just a few
In many cases, the complaints are malicious and with intentions to harass someone. President Lungu is absolutely right that each case needs to be investigated judicially.
Ironically, the most corrupt lot in the politics is making noise about corruption. They are in a fix, as how to react! They never expected that President Edgar Lungu will take such a harsh decision to weed out corruption. Thier bread and butter is at stake, you see!
This is a welcome step. Now we can see the change in public service. The new faces will bring the change in the system.
Now the agencies must start taking strict action against those who file bogus complaints. Investigating Agencies have many important tasks at hand. Such complainants need to be fixed once and for all.
Very good decision Mr President such steps are necessary when one has to achieve a lot in short time.
….’ President Lungu said the termination of contracts for the said Permanent Secretaries is to enable some of them to go and pursue their political ambitions while others it is because they have fallen short in terms of their conduct.’
Mr President,I have no problem with those PS who fell short in terms of conduct but those with perceived political ambitions.Does it mean that a PS is not allowed to disagree with the Minister in terms of giving correct advice? Of course it must not be malicious but still corrective advice.