The Implementors Team, a UPND media team, recently shared an analysis……opinion if you like, that interrogated the role of District Commissioners (DCs).
Part of the write up read as follows, “Mr President, we have no leadership in some districts because of the arrogance of some District Commissioners. The relationship between the party and most of your District Commissioners is pathetic. They haven’t helped the party in any way but they are busy making money for their pockets. By 2026, we shall have no party representation in some districts because of the attitude of some District Commissioners.”
Such an important observation couldn’t have come at such a time than this one! To put it in simpler terms, DCs are the eyes, the nose and ears of the President in any given jurisdiction. Instead of remaining ‘trapped’ in their officee enjoying tea or cutting deals, they are expected to be ‘pa ground’ monitoring developmental activities or lack of it; paying attention to people’s concerns and basically sniffing around for any ‘hot spots’ using whatever means at their disposal.
Are we seeing this happening today in most places? As the Implementors Team has rightly observed, some DCs have chosen to “insulate” themselves from the party structures. They want to overlook the fact that the positions they occupy today are political offices, and want to pretend they are not politicians but civil servants who should be completely isolated from the party that gave them authority when party members are actually vital in helping them appreciate what’s obtaining ‘pa ground.’ And by this we mean places such as the markets, bus stations and localities such as Chibolya, Mushili and Kapoto compounds.
May we now hasten to give a practical example of how some DCs are failing the President and the masses in general. One day, some aggrieved casual labourers working at a construction site belonging to an Asian investor who is an acquaintance of ours approached us with a catalogue of grievances:
“He calls us baboons!” “He doesn’t provide us safety attire!” “He pays us slave wages!” “He normally uses the ‘F’ language on us.”
We were peeved with anger, of course! How can such things be happening in our own country almost 60 years after independence?
We immediately decided to report the matter to the relevant DC and suggested to him he should consider visiting the site in the company of ZNBC and labour officers.
“I know what am doing,” he didn’t even bother exchanging eye contact with us as he pretended to be busy on the laptop. “Can I’ve his number?”
Did bwana DC pay the investor a surprise visit? Of course, not!
Has the abuse ended? It’s even worse now.
Was bwana DC a beneficiary of a ‘brown envelope’ to shut him up? Your guess is as good as ours. Why do we say so? The so-called investor can nolonger talk to us nor look us straight in the eye.
This occured somewhere in the Copperbelt. We shall spare the gentleman embarrassment by not disclosing the actual location.
Now, imagine the disservice or indeed damage to the President and his very own people?
All in all, bwana DCs are the eyes of the President; if they can’t see, get rid of them!
Prince Bill M Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
DCs are not necessary in our dispensation, they are a drain on our coffers. Here in Europe, we don’t have such bloated government structures. However DCs in Zambia report to permanent secretaries, it is PSs who do performance evaluations and not you the cadres. Let us repeat hierarchy
Those fa.k.as are a waste of national resources. Get rid of them please. Their undeserved wages can go a long way in solving our problems.
Useless article as usual