CSOs condemn DPP’s ‘Lhomwelisation’ of Malawi top jobs, public service

A group of civil society organisations (CSOs)  has accused President Peter Mutharika’s administration of favouring his Lhomwe tribe, an accusation that triggered talk of secession and federalism led by legislators and professionals from Central and Northern regions following the ruling DPP’s trend of appointments of public officers since the party returned to power in May this year.

Dorothy Ngoma: DPP diluting  whole essence of doing things on merit but on Lhomwelisation
Holding key positions on Lhomwelisation

At a news conference, representing nurses’ organisations in the country, Dorothy Ngoma said the CSOs are concerned by the “Lhomwelisation” of the public service and public appointments.

The CSOs noted that the last five key appointments in government are based on ‘Lhomwelisation’ other than merit.

They include chief secretary to government Lloyd Muhara (Phalombe), Secretary to Treasury Ben Botolo (Mulanje) Malawi Defence Force commander  Supuni Phiri (Mulanje), Reserve Bank of Malawi governor Daliso Kabambe (Thyolo), National Intelligence Bureau Elvis Thodi (Thyolo).

The activists also observed that all key positions in government are being held by people from the Lhomwe Belt—where Mutharika also comes from,  diluting the whole essence of national meritocracy— doing things on merit.

“Why is it that all the key positions, including PS (Principal Secretary) Treasury, Chief Secretary, PS Health and the vast majority of boards are full of Lhomwes?

“I want to categorically condemn this despicable practice, as it is undermining the issue of meritocracy. We want to provide an example of nepotism by reading out this list,” Ngoma said.

Minister of Information, Communication and Technology Nicholas Dausi, merely said there is no grain of truth in what the CSO activists have alleged.

Dausi said  DPP-led administration had managed to include Cabinet ministers from across the country.

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Owen Kamzati
Owen Kamzati
6 years ago

Kamuzu anapanga zomwezi muulamuliro wake,musiyeniAPM,Atumbuka pa ezy zanu zyera bolani man of God azayeseleko.Zosatheka kose.shaaaaa!!

If they were they?
If they were they?
6 years ago

Its only Tumbukas that look at any appointments on tribal angle for they practice the same. I will share 50 institutions in Malawi whose employees are 80% tumbukas. I will be listing 15 institutions daily starting today with the following: 1. Save the Children 2. World Food Programme 3. Standard bank 4. MANASO 5. MASAF 6. Total Land Care 7. Welcome trust College of medicine 8. Nurses and midwife council of Malawi 9.National Council for Higher education 10. Kamuzu College of Nursing 11. Total Mw 12. Eye of the Child 13. Word Alive Ministries 14. Malawi Bureau of Standards 15.… Read more »

Hlabezulu Ngonoonda
Hlabezulu Ngonoonda
6 years ago

Please include information if the posts they hold were internally or were published in newspapers. Include candidates that attended the interviews and out come of the results of the such interviews. Mere listing of institutions where northern Malawians from the north work is not enough. It could just be perceived as a targeting exercise for ulterior motive, and that may cause fear or anxiety. You ought to go to the recruitment process to lay bare if employment regulations were flouted. No one should cloud his mind about specific people because competition leads to conflict, and conflict leads to disunity. In… Read more »

Hlabezulu Ngonoonda, Qumayo Mzekezeke and Hurston Makungwa
Hlabezulu Ngonoonda, Qumayo Mzekezeke and Hurston Makungwa
6 years ago

On Chibalo’s comment on Malawi … where jobs are very few … education systems … slow with very limited spaces for accommodation and classes, we have stumbled on this information from A HISTORY OF MALAWI 1859 – 1966″: Chapter 10 Age of Development by John McCracker of Stirling University and it is shared here as written by the author: Education expansion reduced regional diversity but by no means eliminated it entirely. Many of the new schools founded in the 1950s were established by the Roman Catholic missions responding to a new drive within the Catholic Church aimed at improving education… Read more »

diks
diks
6 years ago

God is watching, and 2019 things will turn around nde mdzaone mchokocho wakewo

A Man from the Moon
A Man from the Moon
6 years ago

It’s unimaginable to imagine that appointments can be based on merit other than tribalism, nepotism and regionalism in a country ravaged by the levels of poverty like Malawi. The poorer a country is the more limited space there is for innovation that grows the economy. In fact Malawi is a point where there is no single strategy targeted at growing the economy. A country like ours that only thinks of consumption can not prioritize development which corollary means meritocracy can not be the virtue that motivates society. Countries and societies that have advanced have used meritocracy as a basis for… Read more »

Mediocrity
Mediocrity
6 years ago

The discussions shouldn’t be emotional; let’s find out whether there’s grain of truth from the CSOs leaders. Let’s take the message and leave the messenger alone. Isn’t it strange to note that Chiradzulu district have three cabinet ministers while Lilongwe and or Mzimba have none? U call it normal? Look at the population sizes of the districts which have cabinet ministers as compared to those having none. For starters; Kamuzu regime might also be faulted on such appointments but one thing was clear; ppl were appointed into by also considering some other factors, population size of their district of origin.… Read more »

Chibalo
6 years ago

Iam a Malawi and i know we all found Malawi empty.The Chewas are not the orgins of Malawi, we all know they came from Katanga in Zaire, the Tumbukas,the likes of Chikulamayembe,they also came form somewhere.The Lhomwe people are from Mozambique,we know that.The yao also partly from Mozambique.So who is the owner of Malawi? The Indians, hahaha, their land and right portions are in India. The fact that Tumbukas settled in the Northern part of Malawi, does not and will not prevent them from living everywhere and getting jobs anywhere in Malawi even in Thyolo.The fact that most Chewas are… Read more »

Dzambo
Dzambo
6 years ago

Actually Muluzi was very different. He had no pathological ties with Yaoism.

Chipapwiche Kajhalwiche
Chipapwiche Kajhalwiche
6 years ago

Secession? Mukafike bwino.

Dodolido.
Dodolido.
6 years ago

Vindere inu. Lhomwes are the only intelligent people in the country. They are smart and hard working.

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