- Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa has directed senior public service officers to intensify their work and ensure uninterrupted service delivery to citizens, particularly as the country prepares for the 2026 general elections.
Mr Kangwa said the public service must remain professional, efficient and non-partisan, noting that government business must continue seamlessly regardless of the political calendar.
He was speaking in Lusaka today when he officiated at the first Senior Public Service Management meeting of 2026, which brought together Permanent Secretaries, Chief Administrators and other senior government officials.
At the same meeting, the Provincial Service Delivery Charters were launched.
“I urge you to work even harder and ensure that there is no gap in service delivery to the people of Zambia,” Mr Kangwa said.
He clarified that during the election period, the constitutional responsibility for the discharge of ministerial functions will rest solely on the Republican President, supported by the Vice President, and not with Permanent Secretaries.
“There will be no Permanent Secretary acting as a minister. Permanent Secretaries will remain in their substantive positions and continue delivering for the Zambian people as we have always done,” he emphasised.
He reminded the officials that the core purpose of the Senior Public Service Management meetings is to ensure that Cabinet decisions are communicated, monitored and implemented without delay as they feed directly into cabinet.
He directed that the last Thursday of every month be reserved strictly for Senior Public Service Management meetings, warning that no travel or alternative engagements will be approved on those dates.
Mr Kangwa has meanwhile commended the public service for achievements recorded over the past four years under President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration, describing the progress as unprecedented.
He cited milestones such as the speedy constitutional amendment process, reduction of inflation to single digits, successful engagement with the International Monetary Fund, improved agricultural productivity, and expanded social services as some of the major achievements in the past four years.
Mr Kangwa also noted progress in health infrastructure, energy, mining, resettlement and agriculture, saying these achievements are a direct result of a focused and professional public service.
“Even as political activity intensifies, our role as the public service is to remain focused and deliver. Government business must continue efficiently and without interruption,” he said.
And the Secretary to the Cabinet has urged civil servants that have political ambitions to resign from the civil service.
“Our loyalty to the Constitution, the duly elected government of the day, and the Zambian people must be unquestionable. Any Permanent Secretary intending to join active politics must resign from the civil service immediately. Failure to do so will result in strict enforcement of the law,” he stated.
Speaking at the same event, Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU), Kusobile Kamwambi, described the launch of the Provincial Service Delivery Charters as a major milestone in decentralising services.
Ms Kamwambi noted that the launch puts all 10 provincial administrations into the programme which will further strengthen service delivery at the grassroots level.
She revealed that the generic Provincial Service Delivery Charter covers 103 services across 19 functional areas, ranging from the issuance of national registration cards to soil mapping.
She explained that while the charter provides a national framework, provinces will customise it to reflect local administrative realities and service availability, adding that they were aligned with parent ministries, devolved to provincial level, and validated through consultations held in November last year.
And Secretary to the Treasury, Felix Nkulukusa, said the government has made significant progress in stabilising the economy through fiscal consolidation, debt restructuring, and sustained policy reforms, with a strong focus now shifting to job creation and private sector-led growth.
Mr Nkulukusa said the meeting was meant to reflect on the state of the economy that the government inherited in 2021, the priorities set at the time, and the extent to which those priorities have been achieved.
He explained since 2021, the key priority has been fiscal consolidation and debt restructuring to restore macroeconomic stability and sustainability.
