LAST week, the immediate past Health Minister Dr Alex Katakwe told senior Ministry of Health officials during his farewell briefing that there was nothing wrong with someone offering “talk time” or a small token of appreciation after a public officer has performed a function, such as signing a contract. Dr Katakwe has since apologised for the remarks, admitting that they were wrong. But the damage had already been done. What he said was not a slip of the tongue; it was a window into a dangerous mindset that has eaten into the soul of public service in Zambia. When we published this story, a lot of people were very quick to condemn us and defend the former minister. They said...