Chakwera says Govt to recruit 2, 000 more police officers, directs ministry to adjust law-enforcers salaries upwards
President Lazarus Chakwera has disclosed plans by his administration to recruit another 2, 000 police officers in the next three months to boost safety and security of property and lives.
Chakwera has also instructed the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs to revise salaries for the police officers to ensure that they are consistent with the prevailing cost of living.
The President made the remarks during the graduation of police recruits at Limbe Police Training School in Blantyre on Friday.
President Chakwera said his government is determined to increase the number of police officers as well as improving their welfare as the country gears towards reducing the police-people ratio.
The Malawi leader said it was sad that police officers are overwhelmed with work because the country does not have enough security agents.
“When the world is serious about legal issues, you should have at least two policemen for every 1, 000 people. So if there are 20 million people in Malawi, you should have at least 40, 000 police officers. But when I started as President, I found out that there are only 13, 500 policemen in Malawi. Imagine, from 1994 to 2020, 26 years, the number of police officers is that low,” said Chakwera.
He disclosed that during his presidency, at least 6, 000 police officers have been trained and hired, a development that has seen the number of officers increasing by more than 30 percent.
According to Chakwera, the number of police officers now stands at 19, 570.
“I have said that there were five Presidents in this country before I came, and all of them left the number of police officers at 13, 500, but my own government has employed more than 6, 000 police officers, because we are serious about making the country orderly. And in the next three months, we will recruit another 2000 who are about to complete their training,” he promised.
But the President was quick to emphasize the need for the men and women in uniform to discharge their duties with professionalism and discipline.
Chakwera said he was that there are some police officers who forget their duty and start causing trouble, thereby tarnishing the reputation of the entire police force.
He challenged senior officers to lead the way in inculcating a culture of discipline and professionalism in police officers.
“You should be the first to criticize each other when someone starts doing inappropriate things, because it is your responsibility to protect your uniform so that it is not taken lightly in this country. It is your responsibility to ensure that your uniform is respected everywhere. It is your responsibility to ensure that your uniform is admired by others because of your performance. Because the truth is that many policemen are hardworking people and we Malawians do not appreciate you enough,” emphasized the President.
On accommodation for the police officers, President Chakwera assured that his government will continue with its project to construct modern and decent houses for them.
He acknowledged that the work of the police is not just about numbers, but also being given the ability to discharge their duties. He also promised that his government would increase salaries for the police officers.
“You should be given the right tools and equipment, and we, the government, have already decided that we will continue to provide you with sufficient support. I also know that housing is important for your work, and I can assure you that we started building your houses, we will continue until all 10,000 are completed. But before I sit down, I was going to ask the ministers of Zikhale Ng’oma to stand. I want to let you know that I have personally seen that police officers in this country are not getting enough salary. So I am ordering you today to contact your colleagues in the Ministry of Finance to start increasing the salaries of police officers. Is that clear?” directed Chakwera.
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