Chilima not minister of civil service but chair, clarifies Mutharika
President Peter Mutharika on Monday clarified that he had appointed Vice President, Saulos Chilima, Chairperson of the Civil Services and Public Services Reform Committee and not Minister of Civil Service as announced earlier by the Office of the President and Cabinet.
Mutharika made the clarification on Monday in Lilongwe upon the swearing in of five of the eight members of the newly appointed Civil Services and Public Services Reform Committee.
“Civil service remains under the OPC,” explained Mutharika. “But I have appointed Mr. Saulos Chilima to chair this committee which is extremely important because world over, no country can survive without a civil service that is vibrant.
“I expect you to carry out a complete overhaul of our civil service and I am giving you 90 – 180 days, which is 3 – 6 months, to report on the progress.”
Mutharika bemoaned the collapse of civil services in the country which he said was characterized by the plundering and looting of public resources at the Capital Hill.
“At one time Malawi’s civil service was the best in Africa but that glory is no longer there,” said Mutharika, and he continued, “It is now the responsibility of this committee to find means of putting things in order within the given period because we are in a hurry and we do not have time to waste: I expect the Committee to hit the ground running.”
The President has appointed the seven-member commission whose members include the Reverend Howard Matiya Nkhoma, former general secretary of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Livingstonia; business mogul Thom Mpinganjira, group managing director of FDH Financial Holdings; Bright Mangulama, former director in the Office of the Director of Public Procurement (ODPP).
Socio-legal activist Seodi White, Krishna Savjani of Savjani and Co who is also a senior partner for Sacranie, Gow and Co and Evelyn Mwapasa, chief executive officer for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Malawi (Icam) , former minister Prof Peter Mwanza are also in the commission.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :