Mutharika says no political purges, refutes Malawi media assertion

Malawi President Peter Mutharika has dismissed media reports accusing him of firing people from the previous administration on political grounds.

Speaking during a public rally at Masintha ground in the capital Lilongwe on Sunday, Mutharika said Malawi media is getting it wrong that he is firing people on political grounds.

Mutharika: They are not political dismissals
Mutharika: They are not political dismissals

“I want to refute this. No one has ever been fired on political grounds,”said Mutharika, adding: “Please the press get this properly. We are in fact re-assigning them to pave way for investigations on the Cashgate scandal.”

Mutharika said there is a possibility that some of those re-assigned will return to their positions if they found innocent.

The President’s  reaction comes after  hehas  removed secretary to the Treasury (ST) Newby Kumwembe and Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) cheif executive Jerry Jana in his latest round of shake up 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 believed to be  sacked on political vendetta.

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 Makawa  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).

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