By Staff Reporter
High ranking officials in the Defence forces have raised alarm with the appointment of Norman Chipakupaku as permanent secretary Defence.
Well placed sources in the Defence forces have told Daily Revelation that in the Military those from the level of corporal to warrant officer are non-commissioned officers, and from lieutenant going upwards to General are commissioned officers.
“The Military is hierarchical. We believe in the word sir, but the person who served in the Army as sergeant, and now he’s been taken to deal with the generals, generals will feel uncomfortable calling him sir and there will be problems in that the working environment might not be too conducive. And the fact that he calls himself a General makes the whole thing a bit cumbersome,” sources said. “People who were his seniors believe in the word sir and will feel uncomfortable calling him that and some may not even respond to orders.”
Sources said murmurings were already sounding out following the appointment of Chipakupaku.
“The new defence PS once served in the Army as Sergeant. Late Chabinga served as deputy minister of Defence in the MMD government but did not last long in the position because Generals didn’t accept him as he had once served in ZAF as warrant officer,” sources said. “President Sata rescinded an appointment of a man as PS Defence because the person had once served the Army as a corporal and he was going to have a problem to interact with the serving generals.”
