Lusaka | July 8, 2026 – There is a quiet gravity that settles over a room when the words of an oath are spoken. This afternoon, that gravity filled the Office of the Learned Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) as three newly appointed senior officers raised their right hands and pledged themselves to the Republic.

Mr. Mahape Gabriel Libakeni, now Deputy Chief State Advocate for Eastern Province. Mrs. Beene Shadunka-Siyumbwa, Director of Human Resources and Administration. Dr. Charles Daka, Assistant Director, Administration.

One by one, they stood before the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri, SC, and spoke the words that would mark the formal beginning of their service. The Oath of Office, prescribed under the Seventh Schedule of the Official Oaths Act, calls them to faithfully and diligently discharge their duties, to perform their functions under the Constitution, and to well and truly serve the Republic.

Then came the Oath of Secrecy, a solemn bond that binds officers in sensitive public positions to guard the confidence reposed in them. They swore never to directly or indirectly reveal any information acquired by reason of their office, except as duty demands or the President permits.

These are not mere formalities. They are the foundation upon which public trust is built.

For Mr. Libakeni, the oath carries him eastward, to strengthen the NPA’s prosecutorial presence in Eastern Province. For Mrs. Shadunka-Siyumbwa, it marks the beginning of her stewardship over the Authority’s human capital. For Dr. Daka, it is a call to lead the administrative engine that keeps the institution running.

Three officers. Three oaths. One institution. One Republic.

As the ceremony concluded and the signatures were affixed to the attestation forms, the words of the oath lingered in the room, a reminder that public office is not a privilege but a sacred trust.

Welcome to the service. Zambia awaits your best.