President Hichilema Counsels District Commissioners on Service Delivery

President Hakainde Hichilema has called on the District Commissioners (DCs) to work as a team with the Government structures in their respective districts to deliver quality services to the people.

Mr Hichilema said the ultimate goal of his administration is to uplift the livelihoods of the people who gave his party a mandate to form Government with the sole purpose of uplifting people’s livelihoods.

Speaking at a meeting with DCs from across the 10 provinces at State House , Mr Hichilema reminded them to serve people passionately and with integrity.The Head of State called for responsibility amongst DCs in the distribution of various services to the people in their respective districts especially amidst the adverse effects of climate change.

“We need to work as a single team in our endeavour to deliver quality services to the Zambian citizens who are our masters, ours is to serve the people, that is our sole mandate and nothing else,” he said.

Mr Hichilema further advised the DCs to promote unity and team work in their respective districts in a bid to realise meaningful economic development across the country.

“We are put in Government through our constitutional democracy to run the affairs of the country properly, grow the economy, attract investment and trade so that we can support the people of Zambia,” he said.

The President also reaffirmed his Government’s commitment to bettering the welfare of the people as opposed to self-enrichment like what used to happen in the past, and that DCs play a crucial role in coordinating government programmes.

The Head of State further explained that there can never be tangible economic growth in the country if there is infighting between the DC, town Council Chairpersons and Mayors in districts adding that the culture of differing among Government officers in the districts retard development.

The President advised the DCs to maintain a high level of discipline and moral conduct as they superintendent over various affairs of the districts in order to command respect from their subordinates.

“I implore you to promote peace among yourselves, DCs, Mayors, town Council Chairpersons, Permanent Secretaries and Ministers, you must be Coordinating programmes collectively,” Mr Hichilema said.

The Head of State has also disclosed that plans to include DCs in the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) committees are underway and will soon be expected to start contributing their inputs on the usage of CDF.

Mr Hichilema has since promised for more meetings with Government workers in future, aimed at comparing notes with one another on the best practices to serve the country and announced that the next meeting will be for the ward councillors on the date to be communicated.

Earlier, Lusaka District Commissioner, Rosa Zulu, praised the President for creating a platform to interact with DCs aimed at exchanging notes on enhancing professionalism in the discharge of Government functions in their respective districts.
Ms Zulu expressed optimism that out of the fruitful discussion between the President and DCs, a roadmap will be drawn out on how best to work for the people and realise social and economic development across the country.
“Mr President, we are grateful for this meeting with you here at State House, my friends and I are expectant to hear more from you. I am sure from this meeting we will be encouraged to work harder,” she said.

This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times