Southern provincial HODs in 14-day ultimatum to relocate families to Choma

—-Southern Province Permanent Secretary, Annie Sinyangwe, has given a14-day ultimatum to all civil servants with families still living in Livingstone to immediately relocate them to Choma.

Ms Sinyangwe says most civil servants are usually not available when emergency duties arose during weekends because they allegedly have excuses to visit their families they left in Livingstone which affects efficient service delivery.

Speaking to journalists in Choma, Ms Sinyangwe warned that those who would fail to relocate within the given timeframe would be charged accordingly.

She said government programmes had lagged behind as a result of some civil servants who were not available to perform their core tasks for which they were employed.

“I am giving the civil servants a 14-day ultimatum to relocate their families to Choma so that they are available at all times to perform various government assignments that arise during weekends,” Ms SInyangwe directed.
 

She said, when some government officers were required to perform certain tasks during   weekends, they were unavailable because they go to Livingstone to visit their families.

Ms Sinyangwe said Government spent huge sums of money to pay all the affected civil servants to relocate from Livingstone to Choma which allowed them move to Choma. 

She was surprised that despite some civil servants receiving the settling-in-allowances, some had abrogated the government’s directive and were still residing in the tourist capital.

 “The move of the provincial capital from Livingstone to Choma is permanent and has come to stay. Those with the hope that the provincial capital will be returned to Livingstone should forget but rather make Choma a permanent residence with their entire families,” she said.

She called on civil servants in the province to remain committed to their duty and ensure all government programmes earmarked for this year were adequately implemented.

Since Choma was declared the provincial capital of Southern Province all affected civil servants were expected to move from Livingstone to Choma but opted to live as squatters in Choma living their families in Livingstone.