By CHUSA SICHONE-
ZAMBIA National Service (ZNS) Commandant Nathan Mulenga has warned unit commanders that he will not hesitate to ‘offload’ them if they continue performing below expected standards.
Opening the Unit Commanders’ Planning Conference in Lusaka yesterday, Lieutenant-General Mulenga said he was disappointed with the performance of most unit commanders since they assumed their positions.
“I want to say that I am disappointed that from the time most of you were appointed unit commanders, the only feedback I have received from you are excuses instead of results,” Gen Mulenga said. “Let me warn you here that I will not hesitate to offload all those that are not ready to tow my line.”
Gen Mulenga said it was disheartening that some units had perpetually been underperforming even after being provided with funds sourced from the Government and within ZNS to boost productivity.
“Nothing tangible has come out other than the endless excuses, this has to stop hence forth. Let me say again that those of you who are not ready to work with me will be left by the way side as we make progress with the hard working officers,” he said.
Gen Mulenga said ZNS had remained stagnant 50 years after independence despite the support the Command had been rendering to the units financially and materially as production output, especially in field crops had continued to drop, extending to Land Development Units.
He urged the officers to treat public resources as if they were theirs and the unit commanders to desist from placing their personal interests high on the agenda.
Gen Mulenga said the Government had in the recent past directed ZNS to increase production output by three-fold from the current 46,000 × 50 kilogramme bags of maize to assist in mitigating the high food prices.
The commandant observed with sadness that there was very little activity going on in the Land Development Units as most of the equipment remained unserviceable despite all spare parts having been procured, thereby disadvantaging areas that needed ZNS services.
“The onus is, therefore, on all of us to rise to the challenge and fulfill these expectations using the resources available to us,” Gen Mulenga said. “However, with the mindset being exhibited by most of you unit commanders, these aspirations may not be easy to achieve.”
Gen Mulenga said in as much as he appreciated the good works some units were doing, most of those that had ventured in maize production had continued to record poor yields and that ZNS could by now be targeting the export market if its officers had not taken a casual approach.
He challenged the minor units to produce not less than 50 hectares of maize and the major ones to target more than 150 hectares of the crop in the 2014/2015 farming season.