PHILIP CHISALU
Lusaka
FORMER Vice-President Enoch Kavindele has opposed calls for the reintroduction of deputy ministers, arguing that restoring the positions would amount to wasteful expenditure without necessarily improving service delivery.
Zambia abolished the position of deputy minister in 2016 through the Constitution of Zambia, Amendment Act Number 2 of 2016.
The abolition followed recommendations from public and constitutional review commissions, which considered the position unnecessary because deputy ministers did not sit in Cabinet or significantly contribute to ministerial functions. The commissions also cited the financial burden of maintaining the positions.
However, as the country awaits President Hakainde Hichilema’s cabinet appointments, Acton Institute for Policy Analysis Centre (AIPAC) has called for deputy ministers to be reintroduced.
AIPAC executive director Solomon Ngoma said research by the organisation indicated that the absence of deputy ministers has weakened governance and service delivery.
Mr Ngoma urged Members of Parliament to introduce a bill during the next sitting of Parliament to facilitate the urgent restoration of the positions.
Mr Kavindele, however, disagreed with the proposal, maintaining that deputy ministers were costly and unnecessary.
He said service delivery is not necessarily affected when substantive ministers are absent because another cabinet minister could be appointed to act.
“Say you are a minister of finance and I am a minister of health, when you go out of town, they will ask me as minister of health to come and act,” he said.
Mr Kavindele said the deputy ministerial position could nevertheless serve as a training ground for politicians who might later be appointed as full cabinet ministers.
He said Government should instead focus public resources on improving service delivery and strengthening existing ministerial structures.
