The government has said that it strongly condemns the intimidation and harassment of civil servants at the Ministry of Works and Supply by suspected Patriotic Front cadres.
In a statement released to the media Chief Government Spokesperson Hon. Dora Siliya said that the conduct of the said cadres was not only unruly and uncalled for but criminal.
Hon. Siliya warned that Government will not tolerate any form of harassment against any citizen including civil servants but will ensure that they are protected and that there was need for the police to get to the bottom of the matter and ensure that all culprits are brought to book.
“Those involved in this matter must be made to account for their actions because this is criminal,” she said.
Ms. Siliya who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services urged all Government Ministries and agencies to enhance their security measures to avoid the recurrence of such criminal acts.
And Zambia Police have said that they have apprehended Charles Kakula aged 24 of Kamwala South in Lusaka in connection with a video circulating on social media platforms depicting purported Patriotic Front cadres hounding out from office a civil servant on political grounds.
According to a brief statement released to the media, Danny Mwale, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer said that preliminary investigations revealed that the incident occurred on April 13, 2021 between 11 and 12 hours at the Ministry of Works and Supply offices in Lusaka.
Mr Mwale further said that the suspect is in police custody and investigations have continued in the matter.
Meanwhile, Secretary to Cabinet, Dr. Simon Miti, has ordered that disciplinary action be taken against the Ministry of Works and Supply, Permanent Secretary, Mr. Lennox Kalonde for failing to stop the harassment of his member of staff and for failing to prevent illegal trespass of his office by unknown persons.
Dr. Miti stated that the cadres had no legal mandate or basis to conduct themselves like that at a government office.
Dr. Miti said that Mr. Kalonde failed in his duties as one responsible to manage the affairs of his Ministry in line with government rules and procedures.
Dr. Miti has requested Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, in charge of Administration, Patrick Kangwa to immediately institute disciplinary action against PS Kalonde.
Dr. Miti reminded senior officers that it was the duty of supervisors to protect their members of staff and reminded civil servants that they are expected to be politically neutral as prescribed by Civil Servants’ regulations and Code of Conduct, stating that in the event that any civil servant departed from the Civil Servant Code of Conduct, established procedures must be followed to deal with such erring officers.
Dr. Miti said party cadres or any other outsiders cannot enforce the Civil Service Code of Conduct on behalf of his office or Government.
Dr. Miti has also thanked the Zambia Police for moving swiftly and arresting the cadres that harassed the female Civil Servant.
A video has gone viral depicting a report from KBN TV which showed purported ruling PF cadres, dragging a civil servant in charge of government transport being taken from her office at Lusaka Provincial Office to the Office of Permanent Secretary, Works, and Supply, Mr. Lennox Kalonde.
VOTED MISS BUTTOCKS OF ZAMBIA …………. ACCORDING TO HER AT A RALLY
Yes the behaviour exhibited is not in line with our zambian values and should be condemned. But we also need to take account of the woman’s behaviour. It is unacceptable to propagate tribal f00lish behaviour at a government office. This woman is a upnd supporter who has been disadvantaging those from parties different to hers. Tribalism should not be tolerated. She should be made to answer for her tribal behaviour too. Although two wrongs dont make a right, I am certain those men wouldn’t have reacted that way for no apparent reason. I will wait for a full independent investigation.
I am happy the government has acted expeditiously on this matter.
There must be an important international gathering, IMF, world Bank or UN comming up soon, that is why this criminal regime lead by lungu is pretending to act…….
Watch this space….
When we say that there is no longer any Rule of Law in Zambia this what mean. The State Institutions have been politicised and now PF thugs and Cadres are behaving as if they are above the law. PF Cadres and thugs have threatened ,intimidated and beaten Police Officers, threatened and insulted Concourt Judges, Malawi Judges ,Civil Servants, Political Leaders etc. PS Lennox Kalonde couldn’t protect his Official becoz he realized that the Public Service has been infiltrated with these PF Cadres and thugs who are more powerful than Permanent Secretaries. There is no longer Rule of Law and Respect for Human Rights. This lawlessness will get worse should ECL steal the August 12 Elections. Zambians better vote wisely on August 12 to avoid Chaos after August 12.
what has the permanent secretary got to do with what happened?
why not ask for the immediate line manager? Should not he/she be the one called to account?
This is not new anyway
Have you also wondered why the woman has not submitted a complaint yet to police herself? She knows what she was doing and what will come out. When you work in civil service your loyalty should be to the government of the day and not some tribal demigod. This woman will also need to face disciplinary proceedings.
The behaviour exhibited is in line with what expect from the PF.
They even have the nerve to beat up policemen and take control over an entire bus station charging tax to poor citizens.
Animals. The whole lot.
Upnd think they will an election because two men confronted an ugly woman spreading tribalism at a government office. Hahahaha these dreamers will cry again in August.
They say the ‘suspect’ is in custody. There was more than one person. They were the usual dull ignorant cadres (like most of their masters) who think everyone in whatever capacity should be licking PF’s as.s. And @KZ you are as despicable as ever – spewing rub.bish as if you were there.
Harold Muna – Don’t feed the UK based Troll
Imagine 5 more years of these lunatics they will be spanking civil servants for not turning up at PF rallies
I am so happy the PF govt has acted to arrest those PF fools, as for the PS, he was just scared because these PF cadres have so much power it is scary.
The inflitration of PF Cadres started with ZPS. Now PF Cadre driven lawlessness has spread to the Public Service. PS was helpless becoz he knows how powerful PF Cadres are. PF Cadres have beaten Policemen at Police Stations,then have threatened Concourt Judges, Malawi Judges, Senior Zambian Lawyers,other Political leaders etc This lawlessness by PF Cadres is now out of hand. The PS should not be victimized after being intimidated by the PF Cadres. Lets hope these Cadres have truly been arrested and will be charged and it’s not just a PF Police Catch and Release gimmick. These PF Cadres need to be tamed in this Election Season.
Smoke screen. The chap will be back on the streets tomorrow
KZ is so disgusting and ugly see his nose like his bad mouth every time he open his mouth there is dirty.
If they given another 5 years these guys will be waking up citizens at 03 for clean up like in UNIP days, typical communist mentality of fear of the unknown just to hold on to power. Vote wisely.
The level of illegality in Zambia is more that worse and cadres have power to freely enter into PS’s office and show off like that?? KZ a parent who doe not differentiate light and darkness is busy singing praises for wrong doers were are you taking this nation gentlemen ? The case is very clear and you the police are asking the harassed civil servant to report the culprits to police? If that action was taken by any other opposition member the national TV station could by now flooded with negative news towards the opposition political members but since it is PF all is well and you are forgetting that people are just burning inside. You do not have to ask God to bring order in the Nation as if the president and his subordinate ministries that enforce law and order are sleeping. The boy…
A Civil Servant should be loyal to providing needed services by any leadership in government to help achieve goals as planned in the national development agenda! Civil Servants in their appointed offices are guided by the Code of Conduct and its Regulations when discharging their duties thus at places of work they understand being apolitical! However to expect Civil Servants to be politically neutral in their individual capacity is asking for the untenable for like everyone else they too have individual affiliations and political preferences which is healthy in democratic governance! Loyalty to political leadership is a “NO” but loyalty to providing political leadership with a service in implementing the development agenda and fiscal policy!
Evangelist – Surely do you honestly think K-Z would be posting at UK time all evening when he can’t sit in his office for 2 minutes, Go to K-Z official page and count how many times he has posted this year and 2020 so why would he use VPN locked to UK for 24 months to come and post using his name to insult people instead of being anonymous. Bloggers don’t waste time on IT ….trust me its not worth it ..it has no affiliation to even PF just de-campaigning them. @ N £z
Honourable Godfrdah Sumaili where are you?
The cadres will be Scot free .just wait it will come back to the woman.They will end up locking the woman. That is zambia.
PF thuggery behaviour is not surprising at all. Should ECL steal a Third Term and retain Power in August 2021 Civil Servants can expect worse behaviour than this. PF Cadres and thugs will be running Ministries and Civil Servants will sacked at will and for no apparent reasons. Permanent Secretaries will be powerless to run their Ministries. Dr Miti is naive not to realise that these PF Cadres act on orders from the PF Leadership and a PS cannot do any thing against the well connected Cadres and will fired instead. PF Cadres have invaded Police Stations b4 and beat up Policemen on duty and nothing has happened to those PF Cadres. If this can happen to Policemen what more to Civil Servants? Judges,Lawyers, Ministers,Civil Servants etc have either been threatened or beaten. Ask…
The PF Cadres will not go to jail. They will be released as per “catch and Release Policy “of the PF Govt. This thuggery behaviour is just the beginning of what is to come after the Elections in August 2021 should ECL retain Power. There won’t be job security in the Civil Service. Civil Servants will be fired left, right and centre by these unruly PF Cadres. The only way to stop this lawlessness is to kick PF out of Power. Civil Servants have been warned and so they should vote wisely on August 12 unless they want to lose their jobs.The writing is on the wall.
Why direct DPSC to take action… just do it yourself….
If the police do nothing then let’s invoke mob justice to that young man and his disciples. We are a peaceful nation but don’t take the people for a ride or else….
But Kainyokolola Malyamungo Zulu also, every time he opens his mouth masalamusi and COVID 21 ooze out! Kaci.kala uleke chinyanyenye, too much diarrhea of the mouth!
We won’t hear the names of these cadres and they will be smuggled out of the police cell without any comments being made. Same like the two officers who killed the innocent citizens two months ago: never heard from them again. No court case, no hearings, no verdict, no nothing. PF justice!
Why does a PF Govt condemn PF Cadres for the unruly and criminal behaviour against Civil Servants? ECL is the President of PF as well as Govt. PF as a Party should discipline its unruly Cadres. These PF Cadres are getting orders from the PF Leadership to do what they are doing. ECL as President of PF should discipline his rogue PF supporters. This indiscipline among PF Cadres started at Mulungushi Rocks in 2015. Since then PF Cadres have been on a lawless path and has spread this lawlessness to other State Captured Institutions. At this rate of PF lawlessness chaos is predictable after the August 12 Elections. The writing is on the wall.
Mr Zulu as a former leader or rather leader some of the comments you put up makes one think this is a hacked Account. Are you then saying suppose a woman stressed in a short skirt is gang raped ,it is her fault as if she would have worn a longer dress she would not have been raped.
There’s nothing that the Honorable is talking about. If sound punishment was already in place for such nonsensical behavior, these cadres would not be so free to do whatever they want. Its this disease of always wanting to over-stay in office that gets to our leaders and they feel that they owe it to their cadres to stay in office.
But no one is telling us what wrong she committed?
That is the correct approach to such incidents. Anyone who takes the law in his hands must be dealt with sternly. I am happy that the culprits have been arrested. It could happen only under the leadership of President Lungu. Had there been anyone else, the unruly cadres would have been on rampage on streets of Zambia. We have seen that when Hakainde Hichilema was summoned by police on December 23 last year.
It is high time that parties disowned the cadres with criminal mentality. It is the time that the message was given that no one is above the law. It is a welcome step by Hon Dora Siliya to issue the statement. This will set the records straight and send out the necessary message.
Are you alright up there? Had the culprit been let loose, you would have criticised the government. Now that he has been arrested, you are criticising the government. You must be supporter of Hakainde Hichilema.
This assumption is based on here say. Let me tell you the facts. I hope you have heard the name Romeo Kangombe, the UPND MP. He has been convicted and sentenced 12 months of imprisonment with hard labour for assaulting police offices. This is called being an animal from a whole lot of animals called UPND. Show me one example where PF member is convicted of assaulting a police officer.
Everyone must keep it in mind. This is the Edgar Lungu government. No one is allowed to misbehave with anyone. No matter, a civil servant or a common citizen. Such criminal are not spared in this country. Well done President Lungu!
Now that the criminals have been brought to book, all the other such elements across the parties will fall in line. Good that police didn’t spare the cadres despite being from ruling PF.
Had there been no rule of law, the culprit wouldn’t have been arrested. Such incidents would have happened everyday everywhere. But that is not the case. No one is above the law.
No one in the government should be afraid of these goons they can’t do anything. The arrest of the cadre has proved once again that there is the rule of law in Zambia.
You have set an example by arresting the cadre. Now I am assured that we are in safe hands.
No one has more power than the Law. No one will be spared if they take law in their hands.
They acted according to the Patriotic Front Constitution which Zambians have agreed with THREE times at the polls.
Article 3 states:
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
The Party shall ensure that all the public institutions, State-owned enterprises and popular mass and similar organizations are led by persons who are members of the Party and who are uncompromisingly committed to achievements of the Party.
Maybe Hon Ms Dora Siliya thinks that she is still in MMD.
Right thinking Civil Servants should learn from this episode. Under ECL and PF Govt Civil Servants jobs are no longer safe. The situation will get worse should ECL and PF return to Power after August 12 Elections. These PF Cadres act on orders from the PF Leadership and are therefore more powerful than Permanent Secretaries. To keep their jobs all Civil Servants should vote wisely on August 12. The only way to stop these unruly PF Cadres is to vote out ECL and PF on August 12 and send them “ku wire “. Another 5 years of ECL and PF Corruption, mismanagement, misrule, unruly PF Cadre behaviour etc will be a disaster for Zambia. People will suffer and perish! The writing is on the wall.