HANDBOOKS closed and payroll matters forgotten, human resource practitioners swapped their usual office routines for beer and Bob Marley hits, dancing the night away as elephants roamed nearby in Livingstone.

The usually buttoned-up human resource practitioners attending their 29th Annual Convention and Excellence Awards Gala at Radisson Blu Mosi-oa-Tunya Resort, under the theme “Empowering People, Driving Change: The Strategic Role of HR in Shaping the Future of Work”, put aside their usual HR routines to skank the night away at Serengeti Lodge in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park during their convention welcome cocktail party.

Led by their jovial and witty president, Kelvin Shamizhinga, who was clad in Rastafarian colours, the HR practitioners, who themed their cocktail party “Reggae Night”, demanded to be recognised as part of the numbers contributing to the Grow Zambia Agenda on tourism.

With elephants now roaming many parts of Livingstone in search of foliage, the HR practitioners were not disturbed as officers from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife fired warning shots to keep the animals away from the reggae party.

The convention features several activities, including presentations by the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA), Public Service Pensions Fund (PSPF) and Local Authorities Superannuation Fund (LASF) on new labour laws.

National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) Registrar Sharon Nasilele is also expected to deliver a presentation on Public Sector Transformation, while Public Service Management Division (PSMD) Permanent Secretary Loise Mulube will speak on Strategies and the Future of Work.

Zambia Sugar Director of Human Resources Mwelwa Lima will present on Succession Models for a Future-Ready World of Work, while Bishop Brian Msidito will speak on Mental Health and Employee Wellness.

Shamizhinga led the practitioners in the evening’s festivities but reminded them to enjoy themselves responsibly.

“In this world you have been given, there is plenty to sustain you. There is plenty both in body and in spirit. There is nourishment for the blood, and there is holy water. It is our hope that your presence here will guide you to be discerning about what you partake in. One word I leave with you: even as you enjoy what is offered, remember that you cannot connect with everything you encounter in this place. Not everything is meant for you. We do not want you to lose yourself. We do not want you to be consumed by excess,” Shamizhinga advised, using a Bemba adage.

He further warned the HR practitioners against abandoning their values and beliefs.

“I tell you this plainly, you cannot build your own future if you abandon your own values and beliefs. Whatever you do, whatever you partake in, do it with discipline and purpose. That is the commitment I ask of you,” said Shamizhinga.