By REBECCA MUSHOTA
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has directed controlling officers to fire idling civil servants because they are denying provision of Government services to the public.

• PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu congratulates Southern Province permanent Secretary Sibanze Simuchoba (above right) after he was sworn-in at State House yesterday. Picture by CLEVER ZULU

President Lungu said yesterday that the civil service is ineffective because some civil servants spend most of their time socialising on Facebook instead of doing their work.
“I know civil servants brag, that they (Government) found us and they will leave us, yes I found you and before I leave, I will fire you if you are not working,” he said.
The President was speaking when he swore in Michael Pwete as Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Permanent Secretary, Sibanze Simuchoba as Southern Province Permanent Secretary and Brenda Muntemba as Zambia’s High Commissioner to Kenya.
President Lungu said wasting working hours on things like Facebook should end immediately and civil servants should step up their work.
He said the notion among permanent secretaries and ministers to suggest that an ineffective civil servant should be transferred to another department should end and those found incompetent should be fired.
Permanent secretaries should also work in harmony with their ministers so that they delivered to the Zambian people.
“Some ministers have come to me to say this PS is not good and they want him out and they forget that even you PSs, I am the one that swore you in and that you can also report them. But work together,
respect your ministers and run along with Government policies but if a minister is not working well, talk to him,” President Lungu said.
Mr Lungu directed Mr Pwete to use his experience working with chiefs to enhance cooperation between Government and chiefs.
This, he said, would promote development of rural areas by effectively curbing vices like early marriages, illegal harvesting of trees and poaching.
Mr Lungu said there was need to add value to Zambian logs and that this can only be done if chiefs were involved in curbing illegal cutting of trees.
Mr Pwete should also work on cultivating a sense of pride and belonging among Zambians so that they support their chiefs and not only offer them presents when they needed favours.
Mr Lungu said Mr Simuchoba should ensure that the developmental projects in Southern Province are completed and explain to the people.
For Ms Muntemba, President Lungu said Zambia and Kenya have good relations that should be fostered to improve the Zambian agriculture and tourism sector.
He said Ms Muntemba should work on leaving a legacy of brokering partnerships between Kenyan businesses and Zambians in joint ventures.
Ms Muntemba said she would be working towards enhancing the close ties between Zambia and Kenya, with one of her first duties being preparing for Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyata’s officiating of this year’s Zambia International Trade Fair.
Mr Simuchoba, who was a practicing lawyer until his appointment, said Southern Province deserved development like any other province in Zambia and his role is to facilitate that development.
Mr Pwete said he would use his position to help improve the livelihoods of people in rural areas.