Information and Media Permanent Secretary, Thabo Kawana has dismissed social media reports that Cornelius Mulenga also known as Chellah Tukuta has been appointed Deputy Editor in Charge of Photography” and “Chief Photographer” at the Zambia Daily Mail.

Mr. Kawana says no such position exists at the Zambia Daily Mail.

He says no such appointment has been made and has encouraged the public to ask those claiming to have been appointed by the President to produce the purported letter of Appointment.

In a statement to ZNBC News last evening, Mr. Kawana said the Public may wish to know that the Presidency can never be the one to appoint any person to such technical positions no matter how close he maybe to the people.

The Permanent Secretary said there are relevant authorities that fill in such positions that deal with videos, images, audios, graphics or indeed sounds.

Mr. Kawana has since urged the public to dismiss the said claim with the contempt it deserves.

The New Dawn Government has insisted that democratic space in Zambia is not shrinking as suggested by some opposition political parties and civil society organisations.

Featuring on ZNBC TV’s Sunday Interview, Justice Minister Mulambo Haimbe declared that the democratic space was not worsening in the over two years the UPND has been in office.

Mr. Haimbe noted that the period before the UPND Administration took office cannot be equated to the democratic space prevailing now.

“Grevasio, nobody expects that we will have a perfect administration. We are not going to profess that we are perfect. In fact, we are just above two years of being in office. They would be bound to be mistakes made but that cannot equate to saying that the democratic space is shrinking. Considering that the baseline where we could possibly compare is from the point that we took over office,” he said

“If you are to take that period prior to us taking over administration and take this period where we are in office you will then be saying that is where the baseline is set and if you are to look at where we are coming from (laughs) Grevasio, I am sorry it is actually laughable to say the space has shrunk. You would then be suggesting that in this administration of the UPND there have been instances worse than what transpired in the past, recent or distant past,” Mr. Haimbe said.

Lusaka lawyer Jonas Zimba last week charged that what is currently happening in the country, especially to the opposition PF, points to a shrinking democratic space.

Meanwhile, VICE-President Mutale Nalumango says she does not see any shrinking of the democratic space under the new dawn government.

The United Party for National Development (UPND) government has reaffirmed its commitment to keeping the civil service free from political influence and ensuring that public service workers can operate without political interference. Central Province Minister, Princess Kasune, emphasized this point during an address to public service workers in Kapiri Mposhi.

Minister Kasune highlighted that, in contrast to the previous regime, where some public service workers were actively involved in partisan politics, the UPND administration is dedicated to upholding the non-partisan nature of civil service. She expressed concerns that the previous government’s political partisanship led to the politicization of public service delivery, resulting in some regions being denied development opportunities.

Central Province Minister Kasune urged civil servants to remain nonpartisan while supporting the policies of the current government. She stressed that the UPND administration would not allow the politicization of the civil service, as President Hakainde Hichilema had made it clear that enough was enough.

The Minister encouraged public service workers to take on the role of conveying the government’s developmental achievements to the people of Zambia. She noted that while the government has achieved progress in various development areas, it was essential for the civil servants who are implementing government programs, policies, and projects to actively communicate these successes.

In her address, Ms. Kasune urged public service workers to play a pivotal role in ensuring the proper utilization of public resources and efficient procurement processes to minimize wastage and contribute to the country’s development. She emphasized the critical role that civil servants play in Zambia’s progress and the importance of their contributions to the nation’s development.

Laiford Chilonda, a head teacher at Imansa Secondary School, thanked the government for introducing the Sustainable Agriculture Financing Facility credit window. This initiative aims to support farmers who do not have access to farming inputs under the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP). Chilonda praised the initiative for enabling public service workers to access affordable farming inputs, encouraging them to participate in farming and support the government’s efforts to boost maize production, reduce the price of mealie meal, and enhance food security in the country.