By Chipenzi MacDonald
First let me thank you all that congratulated me through phone calls, WhatsApps, facebook and text massages for an appointment for a position of the CEO at ECZ that has NEVER been given to me.
Thank you for your confidence, trust, hope and help, relevance you have deposited in me such as position which i have not taken for granted.
Just for records as people like Max Chongu and his Manyinga Brother Daniel Bukali can start smoking fwaka yacika Lunda and Luvale respectively for unknown reasons and spread falsehoods in their intoxicated state kikki.
There has been widespread rumours that i have been appointed new Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) at the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).I have not been APPOINTED CEO at ECZ.
This is all falsehoods and must be DISMISSED with the contempt these falsehoods deserve.
For the sake of those who dont know how the CEO is recruited and appointed, this position is not a presidential appointed position.
It is a civil service appointment and the employment procedures in the civil service apply through the Commission.
The electoral Act guides that the Commission (ECZ) appoints Electoral officers to assist the CEO buttressed by the provisions of the Electoral commission of Zambia (ECZ) Act that empowers the Commission, as it may determine, appoint such other staff and officers of the Commission as are necessary for the purposes of this Act.
Section 9 (1) of Electoral Commission of Zambia No. 25 as amended by Act No 5 of 2019 guides that there SHALL be a CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER of the Commission who SHALL be APPOINTED by the Commission.
The Chief Electoral Officer SHALL be the chief executive officer of the Commission, and subject to the general and specific directions of the Commission.
The Act prescribes the statutory duties and functions of the CEO as thus; the CEO shall be responsible for the daily administration and management of the Commission; be an ex-officio member of the Commission; and exercise the functions conferred upon the CEO by, or under, this Act.
As can be seen, CEO at ECZ is a recruitee and appointee of the Commission and subservient to the direction, authority and control of the Commission.
It is the Commission through the Commissioners manages and conducts the elections and not the CEO while the CEO is responsible for the daily administration and management of the Commission.
As for as i know there has been no public advert for the vacant position of the CEO from ECZ or the Civil Service Commission.
Regrettably, the Commission has not yet been given Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson by the President to undertake such a task of the recruitment and appointment of the CEO.
There are only three ordinary Commissioners currently at the ECZ out of the required number of five (5) full-time Commissioners.
So for those who burn with strong to desire to see me at the ECZ, please hold your patience. It is not yet time and once any appointment comes, it will be public knowledge.
As of now, am firmly the Executive director of the Mighty well lubricated GEARS Initiative Zambia and also Chairperson for the Council of NGOs in Zambia.
Therefore, the rumors, speculations, innuendoes and congratulations are all false. Time not yet come for those congratulations.
