Chakwera withdraws Malawi police deputy IG appointment: MRA bosses hiring ‘provisional’
President Lazarus Chakwera has clarified that the appointments of Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) commissioner general and his deputies are “provisional” and that the hiring of deputy Inspector General (IG) of Police has been withdrawn.
On Wednesday Chief Secretary to Government Zangazanga Chikhosi announced the appointment of John Bizwick as MRA Commissioner General and his deputies; Henry Ngutwa responsible for revenue and Agness Katsonga responsible for administration.
Chakwera also appointed Demuster Chigwenembe as deputy Police IG responsible for operations.
But Malawi Law Society (MLS) described as illegal the appointments, saying according to the law, the MRA commissioner general and a deputy are supposed to be appointed by a board while the police deputy IG is supposed to be appointed by the Malawi Police Service Commission.
Speaking during a swearing-in ceremony of his new Cabinet in Lilongwe at Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) said it has been pointed out correctly that the law does not give him power to appoint a Commissioner General and Deputy Commissioner General for the public tax collector.
Chakwera said what the statement on the appointments did not mention is that because such appointments are the domain of the Board of MRA, his appointments are only made to function in an acting capacity “until the Board is reconstituted and in place to make permanent appointments.”
Said the President: “I have made these provisional appointments to stop the free-for-all pilferage of taxes and the destruction of evidence that have been taking place there in the last few weeks, crimes which need to be stopped as a matter of urgency.”
The appointment of the deputy Inspector General of police has been withdrawn, the President said.
“ As for the appointment of the Deputy Inspector General, it has duly been withheld pending a regularization process, and I commend all of you who noted the anomaly,” he said.
Chigwenembe’s appointment had contravened Section 14 (a) (1) of Malawi Police Act which states that the Police Service Commission, as conferred on it by the Constitution, appoints persons to hold or act in office in the police service other than that of the IG.
The Constitution, under Section 154 (2), only gives the President the mandate to appoint the Inspector General of Police who is to be confirmed by Parliament. The supreme law of the land is silent on appointment of deputy IG.
On the other hand, Section 17 (1&2) of the MRA Act empowers the board to appoint the Commissioner General with approval from the minister and the same law empowers the board to appoint deputy commissioners.
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MLS, am hearing you now for the first time. Where were you all this time, are you strangers in Malawi or your grandfather Munthali has given you a burn.
Muthalika was just appointing whether he has the powers or not, he would even appoint a wife or husband of somebody if so he wished. we did not know the law then. thank your excellency for abiding by the law.
It seems our President Dr. Chakwera is working under the power of somebody who is using a remote control – testing individual minds – please don’t be afraid take your mantle and move forward Mr. President!!!!!! – the system of moving forwad and then backwards will take you nowhere just do the RIGHT thing and match forward. The eyes of everyone in Malawi are on you silly mistakes will cost you much.
Thanks Mr Chakwera nafe tamphunzirapo Koma achi na mbirizi Ku MRA adasankhidwaso ndi board or Peter Munthalika?Or Malamulowo panalibe or a law Commission apeza chance yomawunikira zinthu this time around than when DPP was ruling party.Change is good.Mr Chakwera, leader akakonza mistake ndi Mtsogoleri wanzeru thanks.Palibe amaziwa zonse paja.
But this pedegu Chakwera atibowatu with these U-turns. Ndiye zimene umati ukhetsera mwazi zija umanena mbwererazi iwe Chakwera? And you must know that your so called cabinet remains nepotistic whether the so called ministers shall deliver or not. Abusa kuchititsa manyazi ndithu.
Koma ma Khadeti mukumva nayo pheini Dr Chakwera yu tu..kkkkkk koma simunati!!!
dpp siikanatulukamo mu bwalomu akanakhala kuti akuyendetsa molongosoka.
osadzidabwa bwanji??? khalani pasi
Is this happening indeed?.. ulendo.wa.ku Canaan uwu mmmmm.Mose.wake.alibe.ndodo sure…ndangodutsamo..koma mmmmm..
Now let’s see if the HDRC will rush to court to stop these ‘acting’ appointments, which are illegal and he doesn’t have the power no authority to do, other than just abuse of office
Koma mumuva kuwawa
You have no business expecting any sympathy from the HRDC! Mulibe manyazi? Inuyo lero mudzinena za HRDC? Ingokhalani chete mutilakwitsa, or ingohkazikitsani lanu bungwe lidzikuthandizani.
Tiyeni he will mature with time
Phuma Mr president his mental is no stabilized yet eish we have along way to go for his presidential trials