Mundubile Urges Public Institutions To Remain Neutral ahead of August polls

NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has appealed to public institutions to remain neutral and allow Zambians to decide freely in next month’s general election, warning that reports of partisan conduct by some institutions risk undermining public confidence in the…

NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has appealed to public institutions to remain neutral and allow Zambians to decide freely in next month’s general election, warning that reports of partisan conduct by some institutions risk undermining public confidence in the electoral process.

In a statement issued at the weekend, Mundubile directed his appeal to civil servants, teachers, council workers and other public officers, saying their constitutional responsibility was to serve all citizens impartially regardless of which political party is in power.

“My appeal is straightforward: let every public institution remain neutral and allow the Zambian people to decide freely at the ballot box,” he said.

He assured civil servants across the country that an NRPUP government would respect their professionalism and protect them from political interference, stressing that public officers should carry out their duties without being influenced by partisan interests.

“You have a constitutional duty to remain professional, impartial and to serve all Zambians without political influence,” Mundubile said.

He said the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity was committed to improving the welfare of civil servants, restoring professionalism in the public service and reducing political interference in government operations. He added that his administration would pursue reforms, including a debt swap arrangement aimed at strengthening local authorities and improving service delivery.

The opposition leader said the August 13 election should reflect the freely expressed will of the people rather than be influenced by fear, intimidation or the misuse of public institutions for partisan advantage.

Turning to his party’s campaign agenda, Mundubile said NRPUP remained focused on policies centred on job creation, support for farmers, youth empowerment, expanding opportunities in the mining sector, improving public services and building an economy that benefits all Zambians.

“Our campaign remains focused on practical solutions: creating jobs, supporting farmers, empowering young people, expanding opportunities in the mining sector, improving public services and building an economy that works for every Zambian. On 13 August, let us choose hope, unity and meaningful change,” he said before ending his remarks with a rallying call in Bemba.

His comments came as an editorial in one national newspaper urged civil servants to remain neutral and focus on their constitutional mandate of serving the public. The editorial cautioned that public officers who allow themselves to be drawn into partisan politics risk compromising their professional standing once elections are over and political leadership changes.

It argued that governments and politicians come and go, while the civil service remains a permanent institution that must continue serving citizens irrespective of the party in office.

Meanwhile, addressing supporters during a campaign rally in Chifunabuli over the weekend, Mundubile said his administration would govern the country based on Christian values, pledging to restore what he described as the principles enshrined in the Constitution.

“We want to govern this country using Christian values. To all Christian men and women, we assure you that we are going to restore this country. We are going to reset this nation so that we can exist again as a Christian nation,” he said.

He also promised to depoliticise and professionalise the civil service through a merit-based recruitment system, saying competent and qualified public officers would be protected regardless of political affiliation.

“We will start by depoliticising the civil service. We will start by professionalising the civil service. The civil servants who are competent and qualified will be protected. We will restore our democracy and values. We will uphold our principles and values enshrined in our Constitution,” he said.

Mundubile said reforming the civil service formed part of a broader programme to improve governance, arguing that policy changes alone would not succeed unless senior public positions were filled on merit rather than political loyalty.

“We believe that policy reforms are not enough without state professionals being appointed to top positions simply because they are cadres. This negatively impacts leadership and affects the people. We are going to reform the civil service, and as long as you are qualified, you should be very comfortable,” he said.

The NRPUP leader also pledged to improve conditions of service for teachers and other public workers by increasing housing allowances and expanding investment in the education sector. He said his government would build more classrooms to accommodate growing enrolment under free education, recruit more teachers and construct additional staff houses in phases.

“In terms of free education, while we focus on school-going children, we will not forget about our teachers. We love and appreciate all our teachers; without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today. As we support school-going children, we will also ensure that teachers are respected and valued. We plan to build houses for teachers in phases, increase the number of classrooms and improve housing allowances to help teachers access decent accommodation,” he said.