Government has expressed concern over excessive beer drinking and casual sex among civil servants.

Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Bright Nuundwe said yesterday that government was worried with the levels of alcohol consumption among civil servants, some of whom he said drink like goats.

Speaking when the provincial medical office launched the HIV/AIDS self-testing kits in Ndola, Nundwe described some drunkard in the public service as quaffists.

“I know government officials like drinking. We can’t deter people from drinking but drink moderately. Drink on average, optimum drinking. We can’t have a group of civil servants that drink carelessly because a certain percentage within the chambers of you brains will be corrupt. You can’t even distinguish a K5,000 to a K50,000. I want you to tell your neighbour, ‘stop being a quaffist’,” Nundwe demanded as the civil servants he was addressing laughed.

“When one is drunk it becomes very very difficult. I can tell you we have lost lives all over the country because people drink carelessly like a goat, you don’t do that. I want to repeat, we can’t deter completely people from drinking, but drink the average way of drinking. Leave a small percentage in you head to say ‘I am going for work tomorrow’.”

He further encouraged civil servants to take interest in knowing their status.

“HIV is very critical, AIDS is real. Up to now medicines have not been found but what is important, what is of high significance, is your attitude. That is very critical. We are senior government officials that move from one place to the other. What is paramount to me, is for you to portray and display the most outstanding behaviour. I have always sang that it is your attitude that will take you to higher attitude. And Zambia as a country can never develop if we have a pedigree or a crop of people that is unhealthy. We want you to display the most brilliant behaviour. You can do the testing, you can eat well, you can do the exercises, but your attitude is very very important. There must be a component of contentment within your life, so stop reckless sex and beer drinking. Stick to your wife, stick to your husband,” said Nundwe.

“These self-testing machines, you can use them at your own home, in the bedroom. Swallow it or put it in your mouth but what is important is for you to be factual. Take the results to the hospital and the hospital will advice on what to do. There is no prudence in you hiding the results. People that are very responsible, even if you are sick you will live a long period of time. For us that have lived all over the world, in London and in America at the moment, if you get AIDS now you can live another 40, 50 years. What is important is for you to have the most outstanding, the most splendid behaviour.”

He then rebuked drunkards in the civil service.