Zambia’s post-2001 elections ‘New Deal Government’ of President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa urgently needs to entrench the norms of good governance in Zambia’s public administration. For despite official rhetoric to the contrary, the truth is that in the preceding ten years of Chiluba’s rule the public service may have become more politicized and patronage driven than during the twenty-seven years of former President Kenneth Kaunda and his United National Independence Party (UNIP). As a first step President Mwanawasa has delegated full authority to manage the civil service to the Public Service Commission and the Office of the Secretary to the Cabinet. The New Deal Administration must tackle the issue of downsizing the public service in order to make it leaner and more effective. Another major challenge is the speedy finalization and dissemination of the long-delayed National Decentralization Policy. There is an urgent need for legislative reform to streamline Zambia’s overloaded legal and regulatory framework and bring it in line with modern requirements. Finally, good governance requires a strong parliamentary democracy. The Public Service Commission must be made answerable to Parliament and not to the President. A strong civil society and independent media must be allowed to take root. And oversight agencies such as the Office of the Investigator General of Police, the Ombudsman and the Director of Public Prosecution and Anti-Corruption Commission must be given the necessary institutional, financial and logistical means to fight corruption and their operations must not be unduly constrained by State security legislation. Notes, ref., sum. [ASC Leiden abstract]
