Catholic bishop slams Malawi civil service as disaster
Outspoken Karonga Catholic bishop Martin Mtumbuka has described the country’s civil service as a disaster, saying this is why public service delivery is poor.
Mtumbuka said this on Saturday during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Ludzi Girls Secondary School.
H said the Catholic church runs various schools in the country both basic, secondary and tertiary education whose teachers and other officials come from all over the world but said the government delays in providing them with work permits.
“It takes ages to provide them with work permits and this compromises the quality of education in our schools…the civil service is a disaster, absolute disaster. Unfortunately, we cannot bring back the hard working civil servants who were there during the Kamuzu days,” he said.
Government officials were conspicuously missing at the function as the relationship between the church and the DPP led government continues to widen.
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera and United Transformation Movement (UTM) founding member Callista Mutharika were in attendance.
Bishop Mtumbuka had also no kind words for the government for abolishing tuition fees in secondary schools without consulting churches which run some schools.
Mtumbuka, who is also Education secretary for the powerful Catholic church, said this would compromise the quality of education in secondary schools including those run by the churches.
“They should increase grants in church run schools. The government should know that all the K90, 000 which the students pay go to buy their food and make their place of learning clean,” he said.
There was no immediate comment from the government.
Ah! Lero ndiye muziti bola Kamuzu a galu inu.
There is evil ando underperformance in the Catholic Church. What has the Bishop done about it?
In other worlds the civil service was great up until four years ago? miss me with that BS now.
Our existing government just does not have visionary leaders. We are heading to no where. I want to state my case this way: if APM is a professor of law one thing that would have benefited this nation is an effort by him to have a very balanced judicial system that functions properly and delivers to the needs of this country after all that is an area of his expertise. But as it stands many court buildings are in shambles let alone what happens inside of them. Lawyers are in the business of fleecing people instead of providing decent service to the people of this country. It starts from the top trekking down. Our leaders don’t take responsibility and none of them want to leave a legacy of good governance. GOD YOU HAVE SOMEONE THAT CAN TAKE US OUT OF THIS MESS..DONT CARE IF THAT PERSON IS MAN OR A WOMAN. OUR NATION IS FIXABLE NEEDS SOMEONE WHO IS LOVING OF HIS FELLOWMAN LORD YOU HAVE THAT PERSON IN THIS NATION. REVEAL HIM OR HER TO US AT A TIME LIKE THIS. AMEN
Who ever interviewed the Bishop should also have asked him if it was ethical for Catholic priests to be caught up in imbroglio such as fathering children under the cover of darkness when in daylight they vowed celibacy or murdering people living with Albinism in order to get rich.
The whole of Malawi’s public service is compromised. It is now increasingly clear that even the judiciary, which had appeared some what clean in the past years is also heavily compromised… Corruption and fraud have become deeply entrenched such that the ONLY remaining solution is to retire every one in service and start recruiting afresh… It is that serious… Whoever hasn’t realized this…. Is so naive about malawi, it’s workings, and the political economy … Or is part of those benefiting from the mess… As a starting point… All City council employees should be retired (or contracts terminated) let them re-apply for their jobs. Only competent individuals should get their jobs back … Yes, city local authorities in Malawi have huge potential to generate revenues and make surpluses…and be able to provide services needed (education, health, etc)… Instead, directors in these institutions are busy infighting… In the quest to vantagely position themselves for graft… And doing nothing in terms of finding solutions to the problems residents are facing… Cry my beloved malawi… Some of the challenges malawi faces are apolitical… Honorable Nankhumwa and Mr Dakamau, I know you are capable individuals… (but wider politics limits the sort of change you can champion). Can you try and and find a way to fire everybody in the city councils…? I can assure you, that way, these stupid directors will start working… Anyway, we are nearly halfway into the election year…. May be these drastic measures should be given priority after the elections.
Preach the word of God…and not politics always
Mark my word anyone writing agaiy what Bishop Mtumbuka said is either thick up there or is part of the inefficient, thieving, plundering corrupt administration. Trouble is that a Chimwene Che APM is not in control of things but relies on duping advisors.
By the way, Tery, the foreign teachers being referred to by the Bishop are for Catholic University and not secondary schools.
That is it bishop. The civil service also contains the Catholic faithful in it. What do you teach them when they are in each. We may blame the government, but what do we do as a church. Do we encourage our Christians to be good examples in their public offices? Do we teach them Ethical values? Do they show that they are ambassadors of Christ in their work? If we are to teach them better things they can be spheres of influence in their ministries. They can fight corruption, laziness and promote hardworking spirit. Why do you have to invite people from outside, apart from brothers and sisters, why not train our own nuns to take lead in our hospitals, schools as well as the brothers to take lead in education, health and other sectors. What you are saying even Ludwig cannot be headed by a Malawian Bro or Sis. Blame game will not help. Remove the log in your eyes first.
We dont need foreigners to teach at a secondary school
Malawian teachers r all useless, dont know where they got their qualifications,
Thats an honest honorary bishop opinion. LIVING OUR FAITH BACK IN MODERN DAY HISTORY
Well spoken man of God. The rushed change of policy to gain political mileage may not be the best thing to do in order to improve education standards in Malawi. Is the “abolition “ of tuition fees sustainable? Will it help improve our schools which are already struggling to source money for food, books and infrastructure development?
i like catholic church it has no kind words to impulities
I agree with Mtumbuka, all the government ministries are a disaster as all are dysfunctional.
We need the new president who will be a shaker and with the welfare of people at heart.