Mayor warns inept civil servants

CIVIL servants are frustrating the government by refusing to heed to the presidential directive to de-gazzette Maposa national forest, Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda has said.

Mr Chanda, who is also Patriotic Front Copperbelt chairman, appealed to the government to dismiss some civil servants so that they would not frustrate the implementation of its programmes.

He said in a statement after meeting Maposa residents some civil servants did not want to see the development spearheaded President Edgar Lungu.

In April this year, during his campaigns in Roan constituency, President Lungu directed that Maposa National Forest Number Four, excluding Muva Hill and Mansana Forest Reserves be de-gazzetted to pave way for the construction of a modern mini hospital and a secondary school.

Mr Chanda said his office was aware of some people scheming to displace the residents of Maposa.

He said the ary school would the children who secondcater for accessed education in far areas while the mini hospital would take healthcare services closer to the people.

Mr Chanda said as a head of the local authority in Luanshya, he was concerned about the manner in which some officers in some government departments were delaying the implementation of the President’s directive.

"In the recent past I have regrettably noticed a trend by some civil servants who are deliberately retarding development by not adhering to instructions from superiors, including the head of State," he said.

The local authority had done its part and followed procedure to start the preparations of offer letters and titles. Mr Chanda said things were not moving because a civil servant somewhere was sitting on the documents to approve them for personal reasons.

"If you sold the land there, it will not be gotten away from the local people. No individual can sit on the papers if the President has made the decision. That land will be given to them (local people)," he announced.