Chiefs have no legal mandate to call for sacking – Malawi Judiciary

Striking judiciary workers who have defied calls by government to go back to work demanding a 45 percent pay raise – similar to that given to other civil servants- have rubbished calls by chiefs that President Peter Mutharika should sack them without compensation.

Some of the striking support staff captured  at the High Court in Blantyre
Some of the striking support staff captured at the High Court in Blantyre
Chiefs marching after getting hefty "allowances"
Chiefs marching after getting hefty “allowances”

Court employees have been striking since November 11, 2014 and has the strike has shut down court causing jails to overflow.

Traditional leaders from across the country mobilised and funded by the state machinery, led by paramount chiefs, petitioned President Mutharika to fire striking public service employees.

Judiciary spokesperson Mlenga Mvula said the traditional leaders including  Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga, Paramount Chief Lundu of Chikwawa, Inkosi ya Makosi M’Mbelwa V of the Jere Ngoni in Mzimba and representatives of Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V of the Maseko Ngoni in Ntcheu,  have no legal mandate to call on government to fire them.

Said Mvula: “They [chiefs] have no legal  mandate to call for our dismissal. I am sure they made that call out of ignorance because they do not know why we are on strike. We are calling upon government to tell the chiefs why we are on strike.”

A spokesperson for the judiciary workers, Linley Herbert, said they have put their foot down on their demand for improved pay package and that they will not be intimidated by the state, saying  “if the government wrote us officially about something tangible, maybe as of now we couldn’t have been outside just sitting like this.”

The executive director for the Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, Timothy Mtambo, told a news conference that by failing to resolve the judicial strike, the government is compromising democracy.

“If the judiciary is paralyzed, which means an arm of government is paralyzed, and if an arm of government is paralyzed, we cannot talk of democracy because the primary responsibility [of the judiciary] is to make sure that there is access to justice and legal remedies. And that is totally shut down. So we are challenging the government that it’s only [a] dictatorship type of government that allows such things to happen,” said Mtambo.

In recent months, there have been strikes by Judiciary support staff, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) employees and University of Malawi (Unima) support staff demanding improved packages.

President Mutharika said in his recent state of the nation address that his government will not meet the strikers’ demands because of financial constraints..

“There is just no money to increase their salary scales,” he said.

Mutharika said his administration is implementing a salary harmonization policy, which seeks to ensure that all government workers of equal grades receive equal salary, regardless of their departments.

 

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Bwantasa Gomdwe
Bwantasa Gomdwe
9 years ago

Alomwe ndiwodzikonda. Peter failed to resolve the impasse at chanco wen he was minister of education. Shudu we expect he wil deal with this one. Our suspects wil rite in jail. Where is the human rights and lawyership.

A MPINGO
9 years ago

NZOWOONADI TAKHULUPILIRA ZOTI NDI MAFUMU OMWEWA OMWE ANKAGULITSA WANTHU WAWO NTHAWI YA UKAPORO ( SLAVE TRADE )

ZA MANYAZI ZEDI

Ndigida
Ndigida
9 years ago

No Government in Malawi has been praised by the opposition even UDF felt this, DPP felt it PP felt it now it’s current DPP. Am now 89 years old and what is happening now happened during atsamunda because some Malawians hated azungu while others favoured them, But verily verily I say to you that: As long as some of God’s children are suffering in the country there is no peace in the world.

Achimidzimidzi
Achimidzimidzi
9 years ago

Well done Judiciary staff, Don’t listen any advice.Prolong the fight until you win. Your grievances are between you and your employer. Let your employers do their part. If they decide to dismiss you, you be paid. So that who will replace you spend months without pay.

concerned citizen
concerned citizen
9 years ago

Shame on our chiefs!

Kenkkk
Kenkkk
9 years ago

I really feel sorry for this. Chiefs being used by this corrupt dpp govt. Yes just get the nac money they are giving you but we alll know you have no influence on the peoples democratic rights.

Mlauzi
Mlauzi
9 years ago

Mafumu. mafumu, mafumu. Ndi nduwira zanuzo, kulowelera zinthu zoti simukuzidziwa ndiponso simukuzimvetsa. Za chisoni. Umbulidi ndi matenda. Kodi sizimatentha zomwe mumavalazo? How can you walk such a long distance mutavala zotenthazo? You are made to parade and look like fools for a small amount of money. Nalonso bomali liri highly corrupt and needs to be impeached. First they bribe journos and give them beers in a move that backfired. Now they are bribing these uneducated fools to walk for a cause they hardly understand

Connex Chilaka Ogalu
9 years ago

I think its not chieves who have crossed their boundary of power but the DPP leardership is so savegish to mislead them and thalk zinthu za umbuli ngati zimenezi.Chieves just concentrate on promoting our cultures like ndagala,gulewamkulu,beni,vimbuza,zinamwali etc awa alephera afuna inunso mukhale nawo olephera

Make Chulu
Make Chulu
9 years ago

“A Chakwamba! pa 17 may 1973, ndamene anapenya makofi mafumu okwana 15 ku Mzuzu.” Bakili Muluzi. Nkhani zake zinali ngati izi. kulowelera zosawakhudza.

Rudolf Phiri
Rudolf Phiri
9 years ago

THIS IS WHY WE ARE SUPPOSED TO VET OUR POLITICIANS BEFORE WE ELECT THEM. WHENEVER CHALLENGED THIS WAY, PETER MUTHARIKA COILS AND HIDES IN HIS SHELL LIKE A TORTOISE. IT HAPPENED WHEN HE WAS EDUCATION MINISTER UNDER HIS BROTHER`S PRESIDENCY. STUDENTS AND LECTURERS STRIKED FOR MONTHS AND THERE WAS NO WORD FROM HIM AS THE LINE MINISTER. WHEN THERE WAS THE MESS IN FOREIGN AFFAIRS WHEN HIS BROTHER CHASED THE BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER. SOME OF US SAID KUTI IF HE COULDNT HACK IT AS A MINISTER, HOW WILL HE DO IT AS A PRESIDENT WHEN THE BUCK STOPS WITH HIM?… Read more »

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