Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Paul Thole told civil servants in Chipata on October 28, 2026, that they must turn President Hakainde Hichilema's Grow Zambia Agenda into real development for ordinary Zambians, not paperwork on a shelf. Speaking at the combined Second and Third Quarter Provincial Development Coordinating Committee meeting, Thole made it plain: the government's plans mean nothing if the people paid to implement them sit on their hands.
According to LusakaTimes.com, Thole said the country must build on the economic gains of the past five years to expand the economy, create opportunities and improve livelihoods. He insisted the Grow Zambia Agenda targets production in agriculture, energy, tourism, mining and livestock, the sectors where Zambia's wealth actually lives.
What the Grow Zambia Agenda demands
President Hichilema unveiled the Grow Zambia Agenda as a five-year national development programme aimed at more than doubling the size of the economy, creating jobs and improving living standards, as Mwebantu reported. The agenda rests on a set of hard numbers: 10 million tonnes of maize, 10,000 megawatts of electricity, five million tourist arrivals, three million tonnes each of copper and soya, one million tonnes each of wheat and sugar, and one billion United States dollars in beef exports.
Thole told the meeting that hitting those targets should bring reliable electricity, higher agricultural production, better household incomes, jobs and expanded infrastructure. This is Zambia feeding itself, powering itself and selling its own produce abroad. That is a vision any patriotic Zambian can stand behind.
"We are the key to the government achieving this agenda. Its success depends on how we work," Thole said.
Thole slaps absentees and silent report-writers
The Permanent Secretary did not mince words about the people letting the side down. He complained about poor attendance and the failure of some Cluster Advisory Group members to submit reports at meetings, a habit he said was undermining performance assessment and coordination of development programmes across the province.
He reminded the meeting that CAG and PDCC meetings are provided for under the law and exist to review government performance and keep implementation transparent.
"Failure to submit reports and attend both the CAG meetings and PDCC amounts to a refusal to work with the government. I urge you all to reflect and change your attitudes towards these important meetings," he said.
Zambians have heard enough excuses from officials who collect salaries but cannot file a single report. Thole's warning is a fair one: public service is a duty, not a resting place. Every kwaba of taxpayer money wasted on absentees is money stolen from a clinic, a classroom or a borehole in rural Eastern Province.
Meanwhile, the President has sought parliamentary approval to realign ministries behind the agenda, a move Open Zambia described as an effort to turn the programme from a political slogan into the everyday machinery of government.
Communities raise El Niño and road safety alarms
Stakeholders at the Chipata meeting raised the alarm over the anticipated effects of El Niño on parts of central Eastern Province and demanded preparedness measures to protect communities and livelihoods before the weather turns hostile.
They also called for the establishment of RTSA offices in Petauke and Lundazi districts, pointing to rising motorcycle accidents and low vehicle registration rates. Local offices, they argued, would bring registration services closer to riders and improve road safety sensitisation across the districts and surrounding areas.
Eastern Province Health Director Matthew Ng'ambi backed the call with a sobering picture of what happens when the state is absent.
"I would say about 80 percent of accidents involving motorcycles happen in Chipata, and we have RTSA here, we have the Police. We need to do more. When you go to Chipata Central Hospital, you will see how much of a sorry sight it is, young people are losing limbs," Ng'ambi said.
Young Zambians losing limbs on our own roads is a national disgrace that no foreign donor will fix for us. If RTSA cannot open an office in Petauke or Lundazi, then the question must be asked: who exactly is RTSA serving?
Why coordination decides whether Grow Zambia succeeds
Ng'ambi said concerted efforts among all stakeholders are the key to addressing the concerns and pushing the development agenda forward. Thole closed by calling on every stakeholder to show commitment to their responsibilities and ensure government programmes deliver meaningful benefits to the people of Eastern Province.
The message from Chipata is one Zambians should hold onto. The Grow Zambia Agenda's maize, power, tourism, copper and beef targets belong to Zambians, and they will be met by Zambian hands in Zambian institutions. But targets on paper are worthless without civil servants who show up, file their reports and treat public office as the honour it is supposed to be. The Eastern Province meetings will keep score, and this time the people are watching.
FAQ
What is the Grow Zambia Agenda?
It is a five-year national development programme unveiled by President Hakainde Hichilema to more than double the economy, create jobs and raise living standards through production targets in agriculture, energy, tourism, mining and livestock.
What are the 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 targets?
They stand for 10 million tonnes of maize, 10,000 megawatts of electricity, five million tourist arrivals, three million tonnes each of copper and soya, one million tonnes each of wheat and sugar, and one billion US dollars in beef exports.
Why did Paul Thole criticise civil servants in Eastern Province?
He said poor attendance at CAG and PDCC meetings and failure to submit reports were undermining performance assessment and coordination of development programmes, and he warned that such conduct amounts to refusing to work with the government.