Chapter Two
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CHAPTER II. DISCIPLINE.
61. All officers are subject to such regulations as are or Officers
may be in force for officers in the Colonial Services and to such orders and regulations as are or may be issued by the Governor with the approval of the Secretary of State. subject to Regulations
62. The holder of any office may be required to discharge Posting
temporarily any duties upon which the Government may think it desirable to employ him, and he may be stationed wherever his presence is considered most useful.
63. An officer on first appointment must obtain the Permission required to
Governor's express permission before he is accompanied or bring wife
joined by his wife. Such permission will not as a rule be
'granted, except to officers appointed to senior administrative or professional posts, during the first six months of an officer's
first tour. Application for such permission should be made, if
the officer is in the United Kingdom and appointed on probation, through the Colonial Office ; if the officer is in the United Kingdom and appointed on agreement, through the Crown Agents ; if in Northern Rhodesia, through the Head of his
department. ; if in any other part of Southern or Eastern
Africa, through the Chief Establishment Officer.
64. An officer will be posted at ,the station at which his Posting of
services are required, irrespective of the fact that he is married officer
accompanied by his wife or that married quarters are not
available there. If an officer is hampered in his movements
by the presence of his wife, that will not be taken as an excuse for failure to perform his duties properly at any station at which he may be posted.
65. All officers stationed at headquarters will immediately Officer to
report their arrival to the Head of their department. Officers report arrival and departure
proceeding to other stations will report their arrival to the Administrative Officer in charge of the District, as well as to
the senior officer of their department at that station. Officers
will report similarly their departure from any station.
66. (a) The ordinary hours of attendance in public Hours of attendance
offices shall be from 8.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. (on Saturdays from 8.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.) with such modifications as local requirements may necessitate.
(b) Licensing, Tax and Revenue collecting offices of Sub-Accountants at all stations will be closed to the public at the
following hours : Monday to Friday 3.00 p.m., Saturday
11.30 a.m.
Amended 1954 [CHAPTER II] 2
(c) All officers shall attend at their offices for such longer periods as may from time to time be ordered or required.
(d) All officers shall devote themselves during the hours of attendance exclusively to the discharge of their public duties.
67. (a) An officer may not absent himself from his duties Absence from
at any time without leave. If an officer is absent without duty
leave for more than ten days, his appointment will be declared vacant by notification in the Gazette. without leave
(b) An officer shall not receive salary in respect of any period during which he is absent without leave.
68. (a) An officer who is unable to attend duty by reason of ill-health must report the fact to the Head of his department and must, whenever possible, be placed on the sick list by a Government Medical Officer, if such absence is prolonged beyond one day, in accordance with the provisions of General Order 369. Absence from duty
(b) If an officer is absent from duty and through failure to comply with General Order 369 is not so placed on the sick list, he is liable to be regarded as absent without leave and may be dealt with accordingly. owing to ill-health
(c) If an officer is absent from duty owing to ill-health caused by his own negligence or misconduct, it will be within the Governor's discretion to withold all or part of that officer's salary for the period of such absence from duty.
69. (a) A Head of Department will notify the Chief Secretary, the Secretary or Member responsible for his depart- ment, and the Private Secretary to the Governor not less than two weeks before he proposes to leave his headquarters to proceed on tour, and will send a copy of his proposed itinerary to each. Officer to report absence
(b) A Provincial Commissioner will similarly notify the Chief Secretary, the Secretary for Native Affairs and the Private Secretary to the Governor. on tour
(c) Any other officer proceeding on tour will inform the Administrative Officers in charge of the provinces and districts in which he intends to tour, sending a copy of his proposed
itinerary to each. A copy should also be sent to the Secretary
for Native Affairs.
[CHAPTER 3
70. (a) The following officers when visiting Lusaka will, as soon after arrival as convenient, sign the Visitors' Book in the Entrance Hall of the Secretariat— Officers
Heads of Department usually resident outside Lusaka ; Provincial Commissioners ; visiting
other Administrative Officers ; Lusaka to sign the Visitors' Book
other senior officers who normally call at the Secretariat when visiting Lusaka.
(b) Heads of Department, Provincial Commissioners and other Administrative Officers (the latter through the Provincial Commissioner concerned), will also inform the Secretariat in advance when intending to visit or pass through Lusaka in case it is desired to detain or see them.
71. All officers, whether or not their whole time is at the Local
disposal of the Government, are prohibited from directly or indirectly making or holding any local investment, speculating in the shares of or being connected with any company, occupation or undertaking which might bring their private interests into real or apparent conflict with their public duties, or in any way influence them in the discharge of their duties. investments
An officer is required to submit any case of doubt for the Governor's decision.
72. Notwithstanding the preceding General Order, Acquisition
officers may acquire land within the Territory provided that prior permission is obtained from the Governor whether the land is to be bought in the officer's own name or that of his oo ffif l caenr ds by
wife or any other person. Applications should be submitted
to the Chief Secretary through the Head of Department concerned, and the latter will be required to certify that in his opinion the acquisition of the land in question will not bring the officer's private affairs into real or apparent conflict with his
public duties. Applicants will be required to give full details
of the area, siting and nature of the land to be acquired, the purpose for which it will be utilised and the date of proposed
acquisition. It must be understood that the fact that an
officer, or his wife, has acquired land in any particular town or district cannot be taken into account when problems of posting or transfer are being considered.
73. (a) All officers, whether or not their whole time is at the disposal of the Government, are prohibited from engaging in trade or employing themselves in any commercial or agricultural undertaking. Trading by officers
(b) No officer on leave of absence is permitted to accept any paid employment without previously obtaining the sanction of the Secretary of State or, if his leave is spent in Southern Africa, of the Governor.
(c) No officer is to undertake any private agency in any matter connected with the exercise of his public duties.
[CHAPTER II] 4
74. (a) No officer is permitted to undertake paid employ- ment outside his official duties without the prior approval of the Chief Secretary. Private employment of officers
(b) The chief considerations which will be taken into account when deciding whether or not an officer may be allowed to undertake private employment will be-
(i) the work must be done in the officer's own time and not interfere with his official duties ;
(ii) the remuneration must be reasonable and in accordance with the usual professional or commercial rates for the type of work in question ;
(iii) it must be established that suitable unofficial workers are not available, and that it would be in the public interest for the work to be performed.
75. No officer is permitted to be the editor, or directly or Contribu-
indirectly to take part in the management of, a newspaper, tions to the Press
magazine or other publication. He may not contribute
anonymously to any newspaper whether in Northern Rhodesia or elsewhere ; nor may he write on questions which can properly be called political or administrative, though he may furnish signed articles upon subjects of general interest.
76. (a) It is recognised that a Government official has the right to occupy his leisure in the preparation of works for which his official experience and knowledge peculiarly qualify him, but in order to avoid a possible source of embarrassment in public administration no Government official without prior authority may publish a book or other work, the subject matter of which is connected with the official duties of himself Publications by officials
or other public servants. The actual version of such works
proposed to be published should, therefore, be submitted to the Secretary responsible for the officer's department for the necessary consent.
(b) Technical officers may, however, publish purely
scientific papers with the permission only of the Head of their department.
(c) Government may decide to undertake publication on its own account or, if the work is to be published by an outside publisher, to fix the price at which copies shall be supplied to the Government, the price to be determined in the light of the facts of each particular case including, inter alia, the extent to which the contents of the work have been derived from official documents available to the author but not to the public, and any other advantages which the author may have derived from his official position.
77. No officer, whether on duty or on leave of absence, Interviews by the Press
may be interviewed on matters affecting the defence or resources of any part of the British Commonwealth.
Amended 1958 (Series II) [CHAPTER II] 5
78. It is an offence under the Official Secrets Ordinance Use of official
(Chapter 38) for any person to disclose, otherwise than to an authorised person or in the course of his duty, any matter or information which he has obtained or to which he has had information
access owing to his official position. This covers disclosure
in any form, whether orally or in writing or by publication in the Press or in book form, and applies to all persons employed in the service of the Crown not only during the period of service but also after that employment has ceased.
78A. (a) An officer may not take part in politics. He Political Acitivities
may not— (Vide C.M.
(i) hold office in any political organisation; No. TS.1314(E) of 11/5/53)
(ii) speak in public or broadcast on political matters;
(iii) write letters to the Press, publish books or articles, or circulate leaflets giving his views on political matters;
(iv) canvass in support of political candidates.
(b) For the purposes of this General Order politics include all forms of public activity, speech or writing, concerned with the administration of the Territory or the policy of the Government other than those in which the officer is properly engaged
by reason of his appointment in the Public Service. An officer
who is in doubt whether anything which he proposes to do, say or write publicly may be construed as taking part in politics should seek the advice of the Head of his Department who will, if necessary, refer the matter to the Chief Establishment Officer for a ruling.
(c) An officer may stand for election to a local government body provided that he first obtains the permission of the Chief Secretary.
(d) Attention is invited to General Orders 75, 76, 77 and 78.
79. An officer may not institute legal proceedings in Institution
connection with matters arising out of the discharge of his public duties without the express approval of the Governor. Any application for permission to institute such proceedings will be submitted through the Head of the officer's department and must be accompanied by full particulars. of legal
proceedings
80. (a) No officer may dispose of any of his or another officer's private property by sale to the Government or furnish supplies to the Government on payment unless the sanction of the Governor to the transaction has previously been obtained.Such sanction will only be given in exceptional cases. Sale of officer's
(b) Officers are not permitted to dispose of any of their personal property or effects by sale to Africans. private property (As amended by C.M. No. TS. 13/10(E) of 8/8/51)
Amended 1958 (Seriee II) [CHAPTER In 5A
81. (a) Serious pecuniary embarrassment, from whatever cause, must be regarded as necessarily impairing an officer's efficiency and rendering him less valuable than he would Serious
otherwise be. Such embarrassment, if occasioned by impru- Pecuniary embarrass-
dence or other reprehensible cause, will be regarded as an offence affecting both the prestige of the Service and the ment
trustworthiness of the individual. An officer who has placed
himself in such a position will be considered to have forfeited that honourable status in the Service which is necessary to make him eligible for promotion or increment of salary from length of service.
(b) An officer who is believed to be in serious pecuniary embarrassment may be required to submit to the Chief Establishment Officer a full and accurate statement of his assets and liabilities and to state what steps he proposes to take to pay off his liabilities.
82. It is the duty of Heads of Departments to report at Head of
once to the Chief Secretary when any officer serving under them is, to their knowledge, in serious pecuniary embarrassment, or has given his name on a bond or promissory note or like docu- Department to report
ment, whether as principal or surety. The report should be cases of serious
accompanied by by a statement from the officer as required by General Order 81 (b). Pecuniary embarrass ment
83. In the event of any officer being arrested, or being Officer arrested or
adjudicated a bankrupt, or entering into composition with his creditors under the Bankruptcy Act he may, on the proceedings prescribed in Colonial Regulations being taken, be suspended from duty and salary, and will not be reinstated unless, after examination of the facts and of the Schedule prepared by the Court, it shall appear that his difficulties have been occasioned by unavoidable misfortune and not by extravagance or culpable improvidence. proceeded against in bankruptcy
Amended 1957 (Series III) [CHAPTER II] 6
84. (a) An officer who is arrested or against whom pro- ceedings are instituted with a view to bankruptcy will immediately inform his Head of Department of the fact. Arrest or bankruptcy proceedings to be reported
(b) The Registrar of the High Court and Magistrates will report to the Chief Secretary every case which comes to their notice in which an officer becomes a judgement debtor or is
proceeded against in bankruptcy. In the case of bankruptcy
proceedings or a composition order, the report will be rendered at once; in the case of a judgement debt, it will be rendered at the expiration of thirty days unless satisfaction of the judgement has been made within that period.
85. (a) Officers are prohibited from giving or receiving Presents
valuable presents (other than ordinary gifts of personal
friends) whether in the shape of money, goods, free passages oi
other personal behefits. This regulation applies not only to
officers themselves but also to their families, and officers will
be held responsible for its observance by their families. It is
not intended to apply to cases of remuneration for special services rendered and paid for with the consent of the Governor.
(b) This regulation may be relaxed upon an officer's
retirement with the prior approval of the Governor. No
subscription list may be started by officers with a view to making a presentation to another officer without the previous sanction of the Governor.
(c) When permission is sought to organise a subscription list, the organisers must forward to the Chief Secretary through the Chief Establishment Officer full details of their proposals together with an estimate of the approximate cost of the present and the limit, if any, that is to be placed on the amount of individual subscriptions.
86. Presents from Chiefs which cannot be refused without Presents from Chiefs
giving offence should be handed over to the Government.
87. Officers are not permitted to apply direct for posts Communica-
in other Colonial Governments. Such applications must be tions with
made as stated in General Order 43. other Colonial Governments
88. Any act by an officer which is calculated to bring Misconduct to be
the Civil Service into disrepute must be reported without delay to the Chief Secretary by the Administrative Officer in charge of the station at which the occurrence takes place, or by the Head of the Department to which the officer in question belongs. reported
89. When misconduct is proved against any officer Transfer due to misconduct
which, while not such as to justify his dismissal, makes it desirable to transfer him to another station, he may be required to bear the expense of such transfer.
90. (a) Any application from an officer for an interview with the Governor will be submitted through the Head of the officer's department to the Secretary responsible for that depart- Interviews
[CHAPTER II] 7
ment, or to the Chief Establishment Officer, according to the nature of the representations to be made.
(b) Any application from an officer for an interview with the Chief Secretary, or with the Secretary responsible for the officer's department, or with the Chief Establishment Officer, will be submitted through the Head of Department concerned.
(c) In every case, full information about the subjects to be discussed at the proposed interview should be given.
91. When an officer is summoned to an interview by Travelling
Government his travelling expenses will be borne by the expenses in
Government. When the officer himself seeks and is granted connection with interviews
an interview the place where the interview is to be held will be chosen by the interviewing officer, and the officer seeking the interview is responsible for any expenses which he may incur.
92. (a) An officer who wishes to broadcast on any subject Broadcasting by officers
which may be regarded as of a political or administrative nature must, if in the United Kingdom, obtain prior permission from the Secretary of State or, if in Southern Africa, from the
Governor. The script of the proposed broadcast must be
submitted before approval can be given. This regulation
does not apply in the case of officers who are invited or required by Government to give official broadcasts.
(b) Lectures or talks which an officer is not specifically required to give for Government or departmental purposes may be given by an officer as an expert in a particular subject, whether or not he has specialised in this subject in his official
capacity. While it is not normally necessary in such cases
for the officer to submit the script of his proposed lecture or talk for prior approval, nevertheless if an officer is to broadcast on any subject connected with the work of his department (and especially if he is to be announced by his departmental title) it should be remembered by him that civil servants are often associated in the minds of the public with Government policy and that a talk which expresses only an officer's personal views and opinions may in fact be taken to be a Government-
sponsored statement. An officer should, therefore, in any case
in which such misunderstanding is possible, be careful to be objective in his approach to his subject and should avoid
controversial statements ; cases of doubt should be referred
to the Head of the officer's department.
(c) No question of payment either to the officer employed in the preparation or delivery of a lecture or talk, or to the department which he represents, arises in connection with official lectures or talks which an officer is required to give by
Government. In other cases, it is open to an officer to make
his own financial arrangements with the broadcasting authority, but the work involved in the preparation and delivery of such broadcasts must be done outside official hours.
Amended 1957 (Series III) [CHAPTER II] 8
93. In the event of any pecuniary damage arising to Damage to Government
Government property from an officer disregarding or failing to comply with any order, standing order or departmental in- struction, or failing to exercise due care, or from any neglect of duty whatsoever on his part, he may be liable to a deduction from his salary to make good the damage so caused, or any part thereof, the amount of which shall be fixed by the Head of Department with the assistance of two assessors approved by the Chief Establishment Officer. property or motor vehicles
94. (a) An officer may only drive a Government vehicle subject to the following conditions: Officers
(1) he must be driving with the Government's order or permission, which may be expressed or implied; driving Government motor vehicles—third party liability, and procedure for reporting accidents
(ii) he must never have been refused insurance by an insurance company;
(iii) he must be in possession of a valid driving licence;
(iv) he must not be under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs.
Should the officer fail to comply with the above conditions, he may not be relieved of financial liability in respect of injury to third parties or damage to property resulting from an accident in which a Government vehicle driven by him is involved.
(b) Whenever a Government vehicle is involved in an accident the person driving the vehicle, or, if he should be in- capacitated, some other officer acquainted with the circum- stances, must submit an immediate report to the Head of Department and to the Commissioner of Works by letter or telegram. This report must state whether or not third parties are involved, and must be followed up as early as possible by the completed Traffic Accident Form M.E.1 (A) (Appendix VIII), in quintuplicate, submitted through the Head of Department. Copies of the form are obtainable from the Commissioner of Works, and must be carried in every Government vehicle. As ameded by C.M.No.
TS 12/9/3 of
26/2/ 57)
(c) If a third party is involved in any accident, the Com- missioner of Works will forward a copy of the Accident Report to the Attorney-General, and two copies to the Government's As ameded by C.M.No.
insurers. Any correspondence received by Heads of Depart- TS 12/9/3
ments or departmental officers from third parties or their legal representatives should be referred, through the Head of Department, to the Attorney-General for advice before any reply is sent. If an accident involving a third party occurs it is essential that no admission be made of Government liability. of
(d) The Commissioner of Works will forward a copy of every Accident Report to the Secretary or Member responsible for the department to which the vehicle belongs. The Secretary or Member may then give instructions for the case to be closed 26/2/57
[CHAPTER II] 9
if it is clear that no officer could be held liable for negligence, or for other reasons. If, however, any of the conditions set out in the preceding paragraphs have not been complied with, or if damage to a Government vehicle appears to be attributable directly or indirectly to negligence or misuse on the part of any officer, the Secretary or Member concerned will forward the report to the Standing Accidents Board for establishment of the liability. The Board will also advise the Secretary or Member of the extent of the liability, if any, which should be borne by the officer responsible. The Head of Department, on receipt of the Board's recommendations, together with any comments of the Secretary or Member, may call upon the officer to pay the amount of the assessed liability, or, in default, cause it to be deducted from his salary.
(e) Officers in charge of Government vehicles driven by African drivers are responsible for ensuring that the drivers are familiar with the provisions of this General Order, a copy of which must be carried in every vehicle, together with a copy of the Traffic Accident form.
(f) The above paragraphs relate only to vehicles which are the property of Government. All officers are advised to ensure that any other vehicles which they may drive on official duty, whether borrowed, hired or their own property, are covered by adequate insurance policies, as Government will entertain no claims arising from accidents in which uninsured vehicles are involved.
