Civil servants urged to focus on government policies not politics

Southern Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu has called on the civil servants in the province to desist from engaging in partisan politics and focus on implementing government policies to foster national development.

Mr Mubukwanu said civil servants should concentrate on implementing government programmes and leave politics to politicians.

Speaking when he addressed civil servants in Livingstone yesterday, Mr Mubukwanu said there is need for civil servants to draw a line between their core of duty and their political affiliation in order to effectively serve the government of the day.

“As civil servants, you are an important engine of development for any government, as such you are expected to be non-partisan and work closely with the government to improve the livelihood of the people,” he said.

He has since advised the civil servants to read the Patriotic Front (PF) party manifesto and President Edgar Lungu’s inaugural speech to acquit themselves with the government’s development agenda.

Mr Mubukwanu said government will not hesitate to discipline any civil servant engaging in partisan politics at the expense of government work for which one was employed.

“This does not mean we are depriving you of your right to participate in the electoral process, you may vote but conducting campaigns and being partisan at the expense of your core duties shall not be tolerated”,  he said.

He however called for a united workforce in the Province with a dedicated attitude towards work to effectively implement government programmes.

The Minister is on a familiarization tour of developmental projects government is implementing in Livingstone district.