Although text books may define District Commissioners as Chief executive officers and administrative heads of districts; they are much more than that in Zambian politics…….they’re defacto ‘small presidents’ of their respective jurisdictions!
Obviously appointed by the president, DCs are responsible for coordinating and implementing government policies. They’re expected to ensure government’s programs and initiatives are being effectively implemented. Above all, they are required to possess excellent leadership and communication skills to sufficiently act as a bridge between central government and the local community.
In the past, this country has witnessed very powerful and influential District Commissioners that we can all learn from…..bullies who were able to produce excellent results in real time!
Even if we were toddlers during the UNIP era, names like Micheal Sata, William Banda and Simon Mwewa still ring a bell. These were tough cookies! They wasted no time going out of the way to crack the proverbial whip and see to it government policies were being applied to the latter! Fast forward to MMD, we had the likes of Joseph Chilambwe, Denison Chisunka and Joshua Mutisa. These were radicals who were always ‘making noise’ in the media as they made this and that declaration or issued ultimatums!
The Patriotic Front equally had trouble shooters such as Binwell Mpundu, Elias Kamanga and Ashwel Kampengele. They’d would usually bully people around, not for the wrong reasons, but to ensure that goods and services are were being delivered to our people in good time!
A few DCs that easily come to mind in the New Dawn Administration, in our humble opinion, are Chitambo’s Topson Kunda and former DC for Kalulushi, Kellies Jibinga!
It’s always encouraging to see Kunda out in the field supervising and inspecting government projects or indeed articulating the achievements of the New Dawn Administration. He clearly understands his solemn role as president with a small ‘p’ for Chitambo!
Before being ‘shunted’ to Chililabombwe for whatever reasons, it was always a marvel to watch Jibinga engaging the mines over the miners’ poor working conditions in Kalulushi or indeed initiating infrastructure projects and lobbying investors such as Choppies to open up outlets in the area so that residents don’t always have to travel all the way to Kitwe for their shopping or enjoy Hungry Lion!
With President Hichilema taking the money away from the ‘big thieves’ sitting in fancy offices in Lusaka and taking it to our people in the districts, we expect DCs to be on top of things…..they should be seen to be working 24/7! Some of us don’t even know DCs for the nation’s capital or key towns such as Ndola, Kitwe and Livingstone as we hardly see them in the media. This is politics! DCs are expected to be easily visible for people to appreciate government is working.
I once reported my Asian neighbour at the farm to our DC for keeping referring to his workers as monkeys and uncivilized bastards, and failing to provide safety attire. Instead of bwana DC paying this person an impromptu visit, he instead summoned him to his office. To this day, my neighbour refuses to talk to me. I don’t have to be a rocket scientist to establish what transpired in that office!
To cut the long story short, we need action-oriented and overzealous individuals as DCs if we are to enhance effective and smooth delivery of goods and services and avoid exposing the President unnecessarily such as what transpired in Chingola recently.
I rest my case……
Prince Bill M. Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
Zambezi
