Government asked to intervene on ‘expatriates’ at Toyota Malawi
Employees at Toyota Malawi Liimted have demanded that the Malawi government should investigate some top bosses at the company who work as expatriates when, in actual fact, their qualifications and technical know-hows of the jobs they are handling are shoddy.
The employees have said that most of the said expatriates are unqualified and yet they have taken high profile positions at the company leaving out suitably qualified Malawians.
In a letter which Nyasa Times has seen the employees, who opted for anonymity, said they were disheartened by foreigners taking up positions which can easily be handled by Malawian.
They said, for instance, the managing director, Kennedy Kabaghe, from Zambia has a mere Diploma in Marketing, while the company has a seasoned Malawian, Andrew Katimba, who is qualified for the job with good academic qualifications.
Among others, Katimba is a Chartered Accoutant with a Master of Science in Strategic Management.
“Katimba has been with the company for more than 20 years and was the General Manager of Finance and currently is the General Manager of Corporate Affairs,” reads part of the letter.
Apart from the managing director, the chief finance officer is Peter Matiru from Kenya, and the employees said there were about five Malawian chartered accountants and that two amongst these can do the job.
“In addition, we have lot of qualified, well experienced and seasoned finance and accounting people who can do this job in Malawi,” reads the letter.
On the position of National Service Manager, there is Johannes Heydenreich from South Africa who simply has a technician’s certificate/ diploma.
“However, the company has service managers that are qualified with the required experience, degrees and Masters degrees fit for these jobs,” adds the letter.
“The government of the previous administration gave working permits without looking at the criteria of expatriate here. The local people are more experienced and far much educated than these people. And the skills required to do these roles are abundant in Malawi but they continue to allow them anyway. Corruption might have played a role,” one of employees told Nyasa Times.
Some weeks ago during an interface meeting with ICT stakeholders in Blantyre, minister of information, Gospel Kazako emphasised that government is aware that many foreigners have taken jobs that Malawians can do better.
Kazako sent a warning signal that government will no tolerate its citizens suffering while they are capable of handling some positions occupied by some foreigners.
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The problem with the latest government is that they bare ONLY looking for men and women of Malawi origin who have degrees but forgetting that those who have less qualifications know and have wild experience in a particular job they are working in. Secondly is that many Malawians rush in obtaining papers but bring them on ground their performances is not promising. Thirdly, Tonse alliance government is supported by those educated or not. Please take note of it and that is my sound advice.
Hmmmm jealousy Malawians,,,so how about our fellow countrymen working in the same company but outside malawi?Will you be happy if they face the same discrimination you’re trying to create?
You should understand that ntchito zina zimafuna kuzigwira osangoti bola muli ndi mapepala akusukulu okha ai
HOW ABOUT IF TOYOTA TAKES YOUNG MALAWIAN AS APPRENTICE? Train them for the future so that in future their skills can benefit both the companies and employees. Every job is based on merit and not favours. THAT’S MY BELIEF. It doesn’t matter whether you are black brown white pink blue yellow or any other colour. What matter is what you have to offer to your employers and the DARLING MALAWI.
Okay here is the solution NYSA will employ all those who are complaining about the job allocation. Nysa time will fire their journalists n employ those who have no MERIT for the position right? Go Nysa show some responsibility towards your own ppl.
Mr Katimba did not attend university for first degree so Masters anapanga bwanji?
He just did ACCA.
Possible to have a master’s without first degree from a reputable university.
At the levels we are talking about, it needs to be a a talk of delivery and ability to motivate and work with others.
Just look at our track record in developing our successors?
There are several factors to consider on both sides of the argument.
Firstly, its important to consider the basis of progression within the company. How does Toyota weigh experience, performance and qualifications when assessing people for promotion?
Secondly, what are the considerations are when the company brings in externals? And do deserving locals also get opportunities to work outside Malawi?
There are a host of factors and angles from which to look at this.
Should Malawians working abroad be subjected to this same standard? There are hundreds possibly thousands of Malawian professionals in South Africa, SADC, UK, and other countries. Were there absolutely no qualified locals there?
We should be careful of cultivating double standards that are u realistic and unsustainable.
It’s in very bad taste to try to use the new government to settle scores in individual companies. If indeed there is a broad issue regarding immigration and work permits, then let a full review of the system be done, so that the flaws of the system are understood and the right solutions/reforms put in place.
I
To all you Malawian complaining about higher qualifications
Prof Peter mutharika =failure
Prof bingu = failure
Dr Joyce = cashgate
Dr muluzi= 4 billion
Dr chaponda=maize gate
So we have all these people who are highly qualified and yet you see the results with your own eyes. I am sure that they are more people with higher qualifications which I haven’t mentioned but have done nothing besides mismanagement. I don’t think education matters when there is no principle and honesty. If they are so highly qualified why don’t they go and train the expats themselves outside Malawi because as far as I know the expats come to teach them when a new engine system is introduced.
Why bringing less qualified expatriates? Malawi is a messed up country. TZ doesn’t tolerate this nonsense.
More qualified Malawians work outside Malawi, than Expatriates working in Malawi. Think carefully about your suggestion, especially when the entity is foreign owned and have every right to employ “their” own people in key positions.
These dangerous utterances are another reason why foreign investment is shy about Malawi, and why job creation remains elusive.
Good reply! You speak the truth n all due respect to you. Great! Keep up the good work.
Toyota Malawi
They are not that good anyways even if they have all these degree holders and diplomas etc…
I took my car there for diagnosis they told me that it needed transmission oil change which they did not do but I paid for the problem with my car was not resolved they told me I need a new transmission. Had I listened to these qualified professionals I would have spent millions.i did research online and I found that it was the ecu which I changed and the car is ok now in short you can have all the qualification in the world but it means nothing.!!!
What a bunch of jealous Idiots
Malawi will NEVER prosper. The pandemic of jealousy and resentment for foreigners can’t ever be wiped out.
Have you ever entered a business staffed by Malawians!.. I rest my case
Great replay by you. Individuals like you are needed desperately for saving Malawi from becoming a racist country. Well done n thank you for being FAIR &. BALANCED in your opinion.
This is very thorny
Malawian sydrome :Get educated and be employed …..kkkkkk instead of get educated roll out your own business and employ others …we need 1million jobs created not by foreing investments
Malawian deases @ its best…Educational papers dont do the job….. I can give you examples of how Ndirande Biwi etc motor mechanics are doing good job than the ones i have seen with so called papers ..CIFAO. Toyota etc….After all the so called Most Educated in Malawi are the very corrupt in business circles ….Better have people who will guide better your investments from where ever ….Those who feel they are very qualified just pack your files and go start your own …
Getting papers isnt a disease Mr Sizzler! Dont underestimate education…recently theres been alot of people thinking like you, ati school ilibe ntchito! And the repercusions are devastating kupanga zinthu mwachimbulimbuli. Look what happened when Muluzi took over from Kamuzu! Everything went on downward spiral! Standards have gone down in the name of school ilibe ntchito. You are blindfolded man. From a clean, quality infused services and smartness, to filthy dirty stinking cities due to lowering and desregarding of standards! Its a shame! Education is key to everything! And the process is slow, you just dont get a degree and start your own. You accumulate factors that will enable you start your own. Zothamangila, get rich quick nzomwe mukuba nazozi.
We have to be very careful here, Toyota Motor Corp is a foreign entity and a compliant tax payer. The majority of the employees are Malawians, maybe a few at the top hierarchy momentarily. At one time it was run by locals, all strategic positions were occupied by the locals and the company had it’s most successful period. Hence the argument that locals can do the job perfectly. Without any evidence of mismanagement by the locals, the argument is very valid, and TMAL has alot of experienced staff who can rival or run foreign Toyota empires. Without evidence of mismanagement, it’s indeed hard to jsutify expats working in these senior positions whos jobs can be ably done by locals. It’s a case worth looking into by the authorities. Worst case, one or two bad apples dont mean all Malawians are like that! It’s suicidal to think like that. We have good, honest, professional, passionate Malawians and we have plenty of them. They shouldn’t suffer due to cashgate perpetrated by a few. Please look into this matter, the owners need to be engaged and resolve the matter professionally in a win-win scenario! Lets not look down on our fellow Malwians. We have been economically opressed for a very longtime. Lets empower our fellow Malawians in a fair law abiding manner.
You have mentioned one or two bad apples doesn’t mean all Malawian are bad yet if its one or two mwenyes then it’s a death sentence to all of them and all are bad where is the fairness in that?
Hmmmm, lol ..Wrong decoding of facts, there are some good Mwenyes in town, doing good things for themselves and the Nation!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE ETHICS MALAWIAN ASIAN. THAT’S PRECISELY IS THE POINT. When a tree has few bad apples, doesn’t mean the tree has to be chopped off. Thnx once again for looking at the reality on the ground. Take care n god bless. Keep up the good work.
Kazako should not be ignorant. and all Malawians should know that it’s the Govt which allows expatriates to work in their country. The Govt through immigration Dept clears. And approves their work permits otherwise they would be deemed illegal immigrants. So should Govt interven govt?Stupid
I would prefer expats coming in with rare skills and transfer such or teach our locals. We dont need expats with skills which are in abundance right here!
100% agree with you however I have reservations. Once skill transfer is done Malawians tend to have a downward spiral in as far as quality and integrity is concerned. We don’t usually stick to rules but we don’t break them either we just want to bend them to our advantage and that’s where our weakness is.
its like you open a shop and you become a manager you wife a cashier. Now somebody wants you to fire your wife and employ him/her, forgetting that she is a co-owner and doing basic duties .
Vuto lolimbikira school nkumati ndidzapuma nkayamba ntchito. Why not work for Toyota, learn the system and open up your company if you are really intelligent?
This is very true even in INGOs where too many under qualified Europeans come as expatriates who barely know what ghey are supposed to do buyt are given very high positions and end up being just nuisance to those Malwians who know what they are doing. These people in trying to justfiy their existence in Malawi make life for others very hard and in many cases are very rude just to shield themselves from being exposed. I know of someone working for PACT Malawi who had worked in Malawi before and was very rude and unfriendly to Malawians and is now back managing people with good qualifications just becase of claiming to his employers that he is experienced having worked in Malawi before. Government must clear this rubble as well. And shall we suggest that work permits should be only granted to those that can add value more than the existing Malawians in any NGO or company. We do not want to keep the chaff from other countries in the name of useless expatrieates
Ah so now it’s difficult to steal because the expat has arrived!
I agree that in some cases we need multi nationals but this need is greatly exploited and very seriously abused most especially by the foreign owned companies. Another one that needs to be checked out is Castel. I was working there from when it was Carlsberg until it was bought over by Castel. Very very few of expatriates brought in by these two companies have substance worth being called expatriates. And they have to justify their need for them to continue being employees by portraying Malawian workers as incompetent when as a matter of fact it the Malawian workers. Very good example that Malawians can ably run is Illovo Sugar which used to also have tons of expatriates but now has very few foreign nationals. A good number of the locals in management positions currently in Illovo are my childhood playmates…. and the company continues to do well. So yes this issue needs to be seriously visited. I write as one who has some good experience working for a number of the multi national companies. Otherwise we will continue to have case of Salina Sugar and other such companies
You have but given one positive example however how many companies have not done well, we used to have BAT and now nothing,Candlex was run by a Malawian going into debt and bought by foreign investor, Malawi railways back then was one of the best railway companies in East Africa, so many examples. Just look at our own parastals and see the mess for yourself. So let’s take a proper look at ourselves before we start commenting about exploitation. Exploitation is when we use child labour in our tobacco industry hence the US putting restrictions.
You seem to be well versed in Coproration Malawi. The thing is the locals have demonstrated that under good Governance, stable economy and rule of law, they can perform extremely well, exceeding all expectations as exhibited by the glory days of the mentioned companies. After such boom periods you have to expect dips and indeed some of the mentioned entities went bust or through privatisation ownership changed, on top of this the relaxing of the trade rules and opening up of our economy to foreign goods and services and competetion changed the playing field and in such cases success is managed and handled through change management process. The main reason of such change was the transformation from a one party state to democracy and the leadership change. Kamuzu was totally different, he protected the economy and to sum he was very classy. Enter the Multiparty democracy, things changed not for the better but for worse, we unbundled Kamuzus good work and trashed and everything went on a downward spiral. Enter Bingus first term, he assembled on of the best teams and made the economy tick…hence leadership matters, fast forward to APM rule, state capture of parastatals took off at a lightining speed. Enter tbe Tonse, they are trying to reverse the phenomenon through spreading of reforms! So, all in all, these problems aint for the expats to solve, we have local solutions. And they will get solved, with the current leadership. We the locals will handle this quagmire and dilemmas we’ve deliberately created. We will and can manage!
You don’t need a higher qualification to hold a top position. Experience matters most in such companies like Toyota. We need to understand that Experience counts most in everything .Yeah qualifications plays a big role too but doesn’t mean it handles problem .A person with a Diploma plus vast experiences in this field deserves a better position.
Inspite of this Toyota is the worst in customer service.
Chakwera please fire 🔥 a warning shot 🔫
Toyota Malawi is a foreign company. The owners have the right to appoint people of their choice to oversee their investment. A motor vehicle technician in South Africa, Germany, Japan and other motor vehicles manufacturing countries are more experienced and more conversant with motor vehicle problems than a Malawian degree holder mechanic. Engineers do the designs and the technicians do the actual making or building of the vehicles which our motor vehicle engineers can’t do here.
No, they do not have that right because Malawi is a sovereign country with it’s own laws and these foreign companies should abide by those laws.
You are talking trash and my guess is that you are one of the foreign employees in question. We are a country of laws. If the govt is failing to kick you guys out of Toyota we the citizens will bust you out of Toyota.Wait and see. Demo ku Toyota and Salima Sugar company
Especially Salima sugar company. Look, those illegal immigrants were working here without any papers, how they entered and passed through our ports of entry beats me!!! They need to be sent packing! If Illovo, a very good prestigious entity is operating with locals and outsmarting the group other countries, what is so special with Salima Sugar Company…
Is that why Mr Lowe had to go and “discuss” with them so that they could by sugar from local Malawian farmers? illovo don’t buy from locals as they have their own sugar cane farms or buy a very small percentage where as salima sugar buy more than half the sugar cane from local farmers thereby supporting them. It was a government initiative to support local small holder farmers. So please don’t be here spreading fake news and hate speech because the company is owned by another race.
That’s all you know demo! And if Toyota were to close down because of your stupid demo how many Malawian would loose their jobs? How many ambulances would not be serviced? Therefore how many malawian who require ambulances would die? Have you ever thought about this in your little head?
Zoona zenizeni
Sometimes u can have high qualifications but comes to job u don’t know anything, memorizing is not understanding.
Umbuli
That does not mean your company should be breaking the laws. Are you crazy?
where does it say that they’re breaking the law
Check our immigration and labor law you idiot. Go back where you came from
Airtel ndi TNM bwa…this has to stop kaye nkhaza.
Onse azipta. Pitani ku India ngati mungakapeze ntichito. Kupusa kwambiri. MUZIYENDA. Toyota is violating our labour laws. This company must be penalized
Who ever is behind the attack on the minority Asian will not be spared and If this nonsense is not stopped immediately then all human rights groups will be notified of gross violations of international law. We will monitor the event in Malawi and report the situation to U.N. and foreign major powers for Intervention and contingency plan to evaluate and evacuate minority for their safety. Enough of RACISM n attacks.on handful Asians.
This is not true. People must be qualified enough to be isssued a work permit to menntor Malwians to their level not the pother way round. THey must pack and g
Tell me, do you think you could go to a foreign land and be as corrupt as they are without consequences? Of course not all of them are but just of them are. It’s not a matter of being racist but let we shouldn’t let the law apply to them too only, we should give the local malawian the upper hand to succeeded.
Uchitsiru
Vuto ndilakuti mumathawa kupereka misonkho and mumagwirizana ndima politicians kumabera amphawi through corruption. Muli ololedwa kunyamuka kumapita kwanu.
Go ahead, we do not fear you we have bled for you to be where you are and you expect us to be smiling at you while you keep on raping our nation and sucking our economic blood for your families while our villagers are getting poorer and poorer!!! Go ahead and report…
Can a Malawian buy 80% of Mumbai and Indians just watching him….you are taking advantage of our poverty..we know that ..but this wont happen with this generation…just watch and see……
Haha the generation that belives everything that is said online,
true but the problem i have seen with inhabitants of motherland is laziness.where I work people come to office at 10 in the morning without being bothered.a cleaner comes at 8 and we want the jobs and when we get them we behave as if we own the company.this isreason why foreigners are taking our jobs.
Just pack up and ago kaya ku Islamabad Chennai. This is our land.
Abale ma company ngati awa amapitisa anthu mmayiko pongowathokoza ndikuwalemekeza kamba kogwira nawo ntchito nthawi yayitali komaso kukhulupilika pa ntchito even amalawi ena ali mayiko ena koma mapepala ofoira experience basi….vuto la malawi changu pamalo mupezeka mwaba ma gasket ndiye mumangogwilapo zaka 4 akuchosani
What surprises me in many countries there are many car dealerships. Why are these educated Malawians not opening their own dealership to compete with Toyota Malawi. No doubt the owners have found people they can trust to run the affairs of the Dealership and have been successful.
Political environment and corruption will not afford them a fair competition on the market. We are a stinking nation when it comes to corruption.
Malawian mentality at its best. You don’t need a master’s degree to be a service manager. That guy with a technician’s/diploma paper, you will be shocked that he has spent half of his life on job, hands-on and he knows more than a guy with masters.
Countries like the UK, that’s normal. You get your qualifications while being trained nothing unusual.
Nzeru
We over-rely on papers. Our friends without the so called qualifications become better on the job than us because they rely on the actual skill rather than papers. They know they have to have the skill.
It doesnt matter. This our country
Last time SKC became VP he saved Andrew Katimba from being fired by the then MD Jon Conel. He was then moved from finance to corporate affairs.
But do you people realize that Toyota Malawi is not a local company or Govt entity? It belongs to Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan. If such pressure is put on them to employ locals at all top levels, they will simply do so, pay them peanuts and micro manage them, and continue to remit dividends to shareholders. So the choice is yours Malawi. Take note that this is also the reason they halted building new premises in lilongwe even after the land issue was solved.
And let me Frank people, when the Japanese did try and go local, Rosemary Mkandawire fucked it up and got involved with cashgate and ran Toyota Malawi South. Give it thought Mr. KADZAKO before implementing unnessary measures. At the end of the day Toyota currently pay high taxes as a business.
Kadzako is a useless buffoon and speaks from his anus. Just look at him.when he is asked a simple question he tells us look g story about Tonse when the answer is just yes or no. This back in seems not to believe that he is minister. Last time he was a causing Botoman of making useless tours but since he a.e to the ministry he is always on the road nd and has done nothing at the ministry.
Lp
Why use such abusive language? Nyasa Times do you read?
http://www.nyasatimes.com/qualified-malawi-citizens-bypassed-for-high-positions-in-multinationals-immigration-corrupt-on-work-permits/
Malawi’s labour and immigration laws are clear that organisations in the country can import labour services only when such expertise does not exist locally. Acquisition of underqualified employees whose expertise is already availabe locally and in abundance is a violation regardless of how much tax one pays.Anywhere in the world, entities are held accountable to laws and regulations they break and heavy tax payment is no excuse to break the law. You get it Member?
True but how many malawians have that expertise to say no to corruption… that qualification to say “sorry but I won’t be bribed!” in my entire life there is only one group of Malawian who said no…. Thr super seven! (Judges)
We’ve got countries where corruption is worse, far worse than what we’ve gone through. Even in the first World, they are still grappling with corruption and several vices. You have a very wromg picture of this beautiful land and it’s warm hearted citizens. I can tell following your convo, you aint a Malawian or if you are, you aint a PATRIOTIC one. You see what is being discussed here isnt about hating on expats, NO, it’s about protecting the few jobs that we have, in the process inviting expats to come and complement on skills and job creation and more importantly INVESTMENT as this brings in future development. Lets be clear about this, we do love people of all walks of life to come and work here and help with expanding our small economy by following laid down procedures. In this case someone or a group has complained about being illtreated or exposed to unhealthy working practices. It’s worth looking into the matter, investigating the allegations and finding solutions. I can tell from your arguments that you aint educated, or you are, but lacking the required people skills and critiquing in a constructive manner. Engage me, i will teach you how to approach and handle situations for free!