Civil Servants Commission confirms will give special consideration to Recruits from Hichilema’s rallies

395 Views The Civil Service Commission has clarified that all applicants who applied for jobs in the ongoing health workers recruitment exercise remain eligible for consideration, but says those covered by a special directive issued by President Hakainde Hichilema will receive special consideration. The clarification follows a series of campaign statements by President Hichilema in […]

395 Views

The Civil Service Commission has clarified that all applicants who applied for jobs in the ongoing health workers recruitment exercise remain eligible for consideration, but says those covered by a special directive issued by President Hakainde Hichilema will receive special consideration.

The clarification follows a series of campaign statements by President Hichilema in which he has repeatedly directed that volunteer health workers, teachers and other professionals attending his campaign rallies be employed into the Civil Service.

hHichilema addressing a rally in Chiwempala

The President first made the directive during a campaign rally in Mwense District and has since repeated the pledge at several campaign meetings across the country, telling supporters that volunteers who attend his rallies would benefit from the ongoing recruitment exercise and future job opportunities.

At one of the rallies, President Hichilema said:

“It is for this reason that we directed that all volunteers in the health, teaching amongst other professions that came to our meeting today be employed in the current ongoing recruitment exercise and soon to be created jobs.”

The pronouncements have generated widespread public debate during the election campaign, with opposition parties arguing that recruitment into the Civil Service should be conducted through transparent, merit-based procedures rather than announcements made at political rallies.

Leading opposition figures have described the repeated directives as amounting to vote-buying, alleging that the promise of public sector jobs is being used as an incentive to attract support during the campaign.

The Civil Service Commission has now stated that while all eligible applicants who submitted applications remain under consideration, those covered by the President’s directive will receive special consideration during the recruitment process.

The Commission’s position has further intensified debate over the neutrality of public institutions during election periods and the separation between government functions and political campaigning.

The issue has become one of the major talking points of the 2026 election campaign, with critics questioning whether public employment announcements should be made from campaign platforms, while supporters argue that the directives reflect government’s commitment to absorbing long-serving volunteers into the public service.

Zambia goes to the polls on August 13, with governance, youth employment, public service recruitment and the use of state resources among the key issues dominating campaigns by the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) and opposition parties.