APM dissolves University of Malawi Council; Orders Justice and Education Ministers to mediate standoff with academic staff

President Peter Mutharika, who is the Chancellor of the University of Malawi (UNIMA), has dissolved the UNIMA Council with immediate with effect in an attempt to bring sanity between the Council and academic staff of the university.

Minister of Edication Fabiano and dissolved Unima Council at the news briefing

Chancellor College (Chanco) has remained closed for close to seven months after the academic staff demanded harmonisation of salaries in all Unima constituent colleges.

According to a statement signed by Presidential Press Secretary, Mgeme Kalirani, the reconstituted Council will be announced soon.

Mgeme further said in the statement that the labour dispute betwen the concerned parties will be mediated by the government.

The announcement comes barely a day after President Mutharika held discussions with the representatives of Chancellor College Students’ Concerned Parents at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

The concerned parents mentioned to Mutharika, who is the Chancellor of the Unima, that they were disappointed at the prolonged labour dispute between the Council and the academic staff at the Chancellor College.

The parents indicated that they were further disappointed with the apparent failure of the Council of the University to resolve the dispute on time.

They said as much as they are aware that the legal mandate to manage the University of Malawi rests in the Council, they nonetheless asked the Malawi leader to help in resolving the matter.

And following the meeting, President Mutharika has directed government to mediate in the labour dispute between University of Malawi academic staff and the Council, “having noted that Council and its Management are failing to resolve the matter”.

According to the University of Malawi Act (1998), the direct management of the University of Malawi rests with the University Council supported by the Vice Chancellor and his management. This legal framework also applies to other public universities in Malawi.

“Consequent to the President’s directive, Government invited and met the University Council, Management and representatives of Academic Staff to agree on the steps that will ensure that Chancellor College opens with every expedition possible.

“Therefore, a Taskforce comprising representatives of Council and Academic Staff, as previously agreed upon by the Council and Academic Staff. The discussions of the Taskforce will be facilitated by the Minister of Education, Science and Technology; and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in order to ensure continuity of the first meeting held on 16 June 2017.

“Also attending the discussions will be Secretary to Treasury, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development, and Comptroller of Statutory Corporations,” said Kalilani.

He said with task force in place, the President hope the involved parties will reach a common understanding and re-open Chancellor College.

“The President therefore places his confidence in the Taskforce and the process they have agreed upon to resolve the situation in the University of Malawi,” he asserted.

Education Minister Emmanuel Fabiano, who addressed reporters  in Lilongwe] after meeting representatives of Unima academic staff and Unima Council on Friday,said: “ A s government, we are equally concerned that this issue is taking too long to be resolved. However, from this meeting we just needed to find out from the council and academic staff where the problem lies [and] after that we have agreed they should meet on Tuesday when we are hoping that tangible results will be reached at.”

The stand-off over salary harmonisation took a twist recently when Ccasu rejected Unima Council’s proposal to refer the matter to the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) on the basis that both parties had not yet commenced dialogue on recommendations made by arbitrator Modecai Msisha.

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vuyisile mtombayithethi

bwampini always sleeping on the job, tsoapno. it would have been good and made sense if the whole stupid goofernment of professor bwampini and his cronies was entirely dissolved!!!!!!!!!!

Alko
Alko
6 years ago

Ali ndi charger cha nokia cha mutu wa ung’ono andibwelekeko 2minutes

Chaka
6 years ago

Let Chanco open while discussions are taking place between representatives and the appointed group.We will save lost time.

Douglas Ndindi
Douglas Ndindi
6 years ago

Going through the article and comments, it appears that everybody agrees that Chanco was closed in March 2017. We are in June 2017, which is month number six of 2017, and yet people (educated people, mind you!) are saying that the college has been closed for seven months this year alone. Can someone enlighten me on the kind of Arithmetic being applied here?

banda
banda
6 years ago

A bwitibwiti!!!! If you can’t understand a thing better be quite than making worse than foolish comments. A grasshopper brain is bigger than yours. University lecturer is an educated fool; really? Don’t know the conditions of service; really? Remain bwitibwiti. kkkkkkkk

Rift Valley
Rift Valley
6 years ago

Too little too late indeed. I personally think he could have done something long time ago, say being briefed by the council. It didn’t require parents to plead with him.

Let us also not forget PAC is breathing down on his neck.

northern economist
6 years ago

and why dissolving the University of Malawi Council? Could we say it was incompetent? I think HE is dissolving the council just to be seen to be doing something, unless if maybe this was done after the council was investigated and found to be incompetent.

The Jupetters
The Jupetters
6 years ago

hahahahahahha, APM said it and i quote, ‘not eberything has to come on my desk’, asking the job of the council. I am made to believe that the council has failed and failing the Chancellor who is the President of the country. Government must be aware that opposition political agents are all over in the government systems, doing all they can to disrupt all government achievements, . Many of them are at Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) who are instilling in the youthful CEO, the ideas that are unpopular and irrational to the economic situation of the country. Beware and only… Read more »

Gas Machine Head
Gas Machine Head
6 years ago

I keep reading this seven months (7 months). When was Chanco closed by its management? Is it 7 months ago? CHANCO’s new calendar was expected to commence on 21st March, 2017. When you do your math, does that take you seven months? Makosana ndi makosikazi and Nyasatimes reporter Yankho Msukwa, please know that the continuing students were on holiday from early January until March. The college also from 10th March, received new students (freshmen). They had orientation until when the learning calendar was about to start. That was when lecturers downed their tools. March 21st to date cannot be seven… Read more »

Raymond Maganga
6 years ago

Bwana presidenti mwachita bwino. Pali ena akutumidwa ndi andale omwe cholinga chawo nkubwezeretsa maphunziro pambuyo. Pakupha nyani sayang’ana nkhope. Zikomo kwa onse omwe akumapereka ndemanga zothyakuka osati zakanundu( fodya). Zokambirana zabwino zipitiire mpaka ma university atsekulidwenso ana anthu akapitilize maphunziro. Mulungu akudalitseni.

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