KEEP POLITICS OUT OF PUBLIC SERVICE

Hikaumba urges public workers to prioritise professionalism, merit-based promotions and national development under the Grow Zambia Agenda.

By Francis Maingaila ♥️

Lusaka, Zambia24 — 10-10-2026 — MDC Vice President and former Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) president Leonard Hikaumba has urged public service workers to keep politics out of their official duties and focus on delivering quality services to Zambians.

Hikaumba said the success of the Grow Zambia Agenda championed by President Hakainde Hichilema depended on how effectively public institutions implemented government policies and delivered services to citizens.

He said teachers, health workers, agricultural officers, engineers and other public servants played a vital role in national development through their daily work.

In a statement, Hikaumba said his call was not for public workers to show political allegiance but to commit themselves to national progress and effective service delivery.

“This call is not about demanding political allegiance from public servants. Rather, it is about encouraging a shared commitment to national progress, responsible service delivery, economic productivity and the effective implementation of policies intended to improve the welfare of the Zambian people,” he said.

Hikaumba warned that partisan divisions, corruption, nepotism and professional indiscipline could weaken public institutions and undermine development programmes.

He called for recruitment and promotions based on qualifications, competence and merit rather than political connections or personal relationships.

“The Grow Zambia Agenda will be strengthened when public workers embrace professional excellence, government institutions operate impartially, and appointments and promotions are based on merit rather than nepotism or political patronage,” he said.

Hikaumba said development required more than policy announcements, stressing that government programmes must be implemented efficiently and public resources protected to produce meaningful results.

He also urged ministers, permanent secretaries, chief executives and human resource managers to ensure transparent recruitment, respect workers' rights and reward professionalism.

He said accountability should apply equally to all public officers, regardless of their positions.

Drawing on his experience in the labour movement, Hikaumba said public workers deserved dignity, fair treatment, decent working conditions and protection of their legitimate labour rights.

However, he said these rights should go hand in hand with responsibility and commitment to serving citizens whose taxes financed public institutions.

“The relationship between government and public workers must therefore be built on mutual respect: workers must discharge their duties diligently, while those who lead and manage public institutions must uphold fairness, meritocracy and the rule of law,” he said.

Hikaumba said the daily work of public servants directly affected national development, from educating children and treating patients to supporting farmers and maintaining infrastructure.

He urged public workers to put national interests first, saying the Grow Zambia Agenda must be reflected in the conduct of public institutions and the quality of services delivered to citizens.

He said a professional, impartial and accountable public service was essential to sustainable economic growth, stronger public confidence and improved service delivery.