•PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu (left) listens to the Government Mining Technical Audit Committee chairperson Sixtus Mulenga during the hand-over of the report on the technical findings involving mines on the Copperbelt and North-Western provinces at State House yesterday. Picture by THOMAS NSAMA/STATE HOUSE

By JAMES KUNDA –
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has advised staff in the civil service to remain professional and withstand all forms of political pressure as the country holds tripartite elections this year.
Meanwhile, Mr Lungu and Vice-President Inonge Wina were yesterday appraised with the findings of the Government Mining Industry Technical Audit Committee (GMTAC), which was tasked to review the operations of all mining companies operating in Zambia.
The Head of State said all civil service staff should exhibit the highest level of professionalism and avoid being used for political machinations.
President Lungu said this at State House in Lusaka yesterday when he swore in two newly-appointed permanent secretaries.
The duo is former inspector general of police Ephraim Mateyo who is now North-Western Province Permanent Secretary and Owen Zulu for the Ministry of Higher Education.
Emmanuel Mali was sworn in as a public policy specialist at Cabinet Office.
Other changes at permanent secretary level included the transfer of Local Government and Housing Permanent Secretary Misheck Lungu to the Ministry of Transport and Communication.
Mr Lungu has been replaced by Amos Malupenga, who moves from North-Western Province, while Mr Lungu’s predecessor Mbololwa Muyaba has moved to Cabinet Office to fill the vacant position of permanent secretary in the remuneration department.
Labour and Social Security Permanent Secretary Trevor Kaunda and his Lands and Natural Resources counterpart Barnaby Mulenga have swapped offices.
Mr Zulu takes over from Patrick Nkanza whose contract was not renewed while Joseph Akafumba from the Ministry of Justice suffered the same fate and his replacement would soon be announced.
“As civil servants, I expect you to be aware that we are going into an election and you have taken oath here; just listen to the politicians do politics.
“Focus on your job which is to deliver the services expected of Government of the day and which are founded on the promises that we made to the people of Zambia when they elected us in 2011,” President Lungu said.
Mr Lungu said Zambians were for the first time witnessing tangible development by an incumbent Government. As from 2011, the PF had been working on implementing the promises made to the people.
“So there will not be much talking for us when we go to campaign, we will tell them (Zambians) that this is what we have done, we are going forward.
“But for you, just watch the politicians wrangle and do not get involved,” the President said.
Meanwhile, President Lungu and Ms Wina were after the swearing-in ceremony appraised on the findings of the GMTAC which was looking into the operations of mines on the Copperbelt and North-Western provinces.
Mr Lungu had directed the creation of GMTAC to ascertain the feasibility of sustaining a win-win situation in the mining industry following the recent spate of job losses.
GMTAC chairperson Sixtus Mulenga presented the findings to the Head of State in the presence of acting Mines and Minerals Development Minister Fackson Shamenda.