MINISTER of Green Economy and Environment Mike Mposha has expressed disappointment at Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) officers who reported late for work following his impromptu visit.
Yesterday morning, Mposha stormed the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) headquarters in Lusaka without warning and what he found left him fuming.
He found only a handful of officers at their desks long after 08:00 hours, the normal reporting time.
Mposha said it was shameful that while President Hakainde Hichilema works up to zero hour, even on weekends, some civil servants still treat government jobs like a weekend retreat.
“If your President is working at midnight, who are you to be reporting for work after 08:00 hours?” he thundered.
“We don’t know 17 hours in this government, we work until the job is done.”
The Minister warned that showing up after 08:20 was not just indiscipline, but theft.
“If you can’t report on time, you are stealing. You are stealing our time and the people’s trust,” he charged.
He said ZEMA’s poor work culture was partly to blame for the delays investors face when seeking environmental approvals, calling for a complete change of attitude.
Furthermore, Mposha was also disappointed by reports that some ZEMA officers were extorting money from clients in exchange for faster approvals.
“I am giving you a friendly warning,” he said sternly.
“Desist from these practices where you want to extort money from clients. I’m watching”
The Minister said he had received alarming information about ZEMA officers who deliberately delay decisions to pressure clients into offering bribes.
He further cautioned that any officer found guilty of extortion would be arrested, not transferred.
Story and Pictures by George Musonda
Kalemba October 14, 2025
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