By Patson Chilemba
Zambia’s High Commissioner to Malawi Colonel Panji Kaunda says it doesn’t matter whether ZNS Commander appoints his relatives to positions of authority in the service as long as they are qualified to handle the duties they have been appointed to.
Responding to a story in Daily Revelation where sources in the Defence forces have told the media organisation that Gen Solochi has created a position of Director Procurement and appointed his brother in-law to serve there, Col Panji said qualified Zambians must not be pushed away just because they are related to people serving in the positions of authority.
“What I am saying to you my Comrade is, we should not be pushing those that are related to people who serve in positions of authority simply because they are related. If the Officer who say was promoted qualifies in this post it should not matter whose relative it is and from what I know the Defence Force has a system that doesn’t depend on who know to get promoted, otherwise I would have been the ARMY COMMANDER,” Col Panji stated.
He said in his service in the army during his father Dr Kenneth Kaunda’s presidency, he was not allowed to command a Presidential Guard of Honour because he was the son to the Commander in Chief, saying during that Guard of Honour was what every young officer dreamt of doing at least once in their service time.
“I was denied this chance. Secondly all my siblings are by our standards well educated and could have done any job in government and do it well as those working there now are doing. For 27 years of our Father’s rule none of us were appointed in any government posts simply because our father was of the opinion that people would misunderstand him that he was favouring his children, but we’re Zambians like you who should have the same opportunity,” stated Col Panji. “The only one who was appointed during his reign was our late brother Wezi, even then he was only made deputy minister of Defence despite having served in the army. In other countries he should he could have been made full minister.”
