Civil servants flee

Civil servants flee

Kapiri Mposhi, July 19, ZANIS ——- Some civil servants working in Chief Mukubwe’s chiefdom in Kapiri Mposhi district have fled the area for fear of witchcraft.

The civil servants who include those from the Ministries of Education, Health and Agriculture started fleeing the area abandoning their offices last week along with their families.

Kapiri Mposhi District Commission, Beatrice Sikazwe confirmed the development to ZANIS today.

Ms Sikazwe said the government workers have accused the local people in Mutenda, Chibobo, Mumba Chala, Iwonde, Chilwa Island and Chibungo areas  of practicing witchcraft on them and their families.

She said the workers and their families were being troubled at night by suspected witches as they were discovering strange items such as Kwacha notes drenched in fresh blood and strange herbs on their door ways to their houses every morning they wake up.

Ms Sikazwe also said some female workers are allegedly being mysteriously sexually harassed in their sleep by unknown people during the night.

“Civil servants have run away from Mukubwe…. they have run away because of increased witchcraft that they have been subjected to by the locals … they have complained that they are not sleeping well during the night because of witchcraft,” Ms Sikazwe said.      

Meanwhile, Ms Sikazwe has threatened to withdraw all civil servants working in the area if the local people continue with the tendency of harassing them.

Ms Sikazwe said government workers have chosen to work from the area for the benefit of the community and it is not in order that the same community they are serving should harass them.

The District Commisioner said she along with officers from the concerned government departments will on Monday next week go to the area to have meetings with the community to resolve the matter.

She noted that the alleged behavior by the community against government workers would cause underdevelopment in area.

The District Commissioner challenged the local communities in Mukubwe to support and cooperate with government workers because they are there to foster development.

She noted that the workers had sacrificed so much by accepting to work from remote areas of the district hence they should be supported and appreciated and not harassed by the local people.

Ms Sikazwe said government was committed to delivering development to its people and will not tolerate any act that impeded its smooth implementation of its policies.