Mutharika fires Admarc boss, Secretary to Treasury
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has removed secretary to the Treasury (ST) Newby Kumwembe and Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) cheif executive Jerry Jana in his latest round of purging public officers since he assumed power on June 1 2014.
No reasons are being given so far for the sackings.
Mutharika pledged not to sack any technocrat willy-nilly but has not lived up to his word as most officers are sacked on political vendetta.
The President has replaced Kumwembe with academic Ronald Mangani
According to newly appointed Chief Secretary to the Government George Mkondiwa, Mangani “will work with Kumwembe for some time”, as part of a handover process.
Mangani has been an economics lecturer at the University of Malawi’s (Unima) Chancellor College since 1994.
President Mutharika has replaced Jana at grain marketor Admarc with his close relation Foster Mulumbe who was the grain trader’s director of finance until 2013 when his contract expired and was released.
Jana and Kumwembe join several senior public officers that Mutharika has chopped. Others fired or redeployed since Mutharika’s presidency include Hawa Ndilowe (chief secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, general Henry Odillo (Malawi Defence Force commander ) and his deputy John Msonthi, Nelson Bophani (deputy police chief ), Rezine Mzikamanda (Anti-Corruption Bureau director), Bruno Kalemba (Director of Public Prosecutions), Charles Nsaliwa (Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority director general) and John Biziwick (Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) director general,.
In diplomatic posts those recalled include Benard Sande (UK), Stella Ndau High Commissioner to South Africa, Charles Msosa ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Ernest Mungosauka Makaw ambassador to China.
Others in diplomatic missions recalled pending requests from the Treasury include Janet Karim (UN), Joseph Chikwemba (Japan), Timothy Sandram (United States) and Naomi Saukira (South Africa).
