Major shake up in Malawi Police: Gondwa replaces Manjolo as spokesperson

There has been a major shake up in the Malawi Police Service which has seen some senior officers been moved around while others being promoted, in a move which insiders has described as raising eye brows, with Press and Public Relation Officer, Rhoda Manjolo transferred to head a district office.

The departments which has been affected are the Public Relations Office (PRO), Building Section and the Mess Department which is responsible for catering.

The reshuffle, the second since the current Inspector General Lexten  Kachama ascended to the head of Malawi Police, has seen some officers being given new roles of less influence.

However, former Police spokesperson Manjolo, who herself has been transferred from PRO headquarters to be the Officer-in-Charge of Ntcheu, down played the shake-up , saying in the MPS transfers are bound to be there.

“This is normal in Police Service for officers to get transferred from one station to the other,” she said.

The transfers has seen Nicholas Gondwa who was deputising Manjolo being promoted to be the national police spokesperson replacing Manjolo and Tomex Nyaude who was PRO for Eastern Region headquarters has risen and will be the second in command at PRO headquarters.

“I have just been informed about that today. There is nothing more I can but to thank God and all stakeholders for making me to be where I was since 2012. I wish my successor all the best and God must guide him,” Manjolo told Nyasa Times.

Manjolo replaces Chikondi Chingadza at Ntcheu Police Station who is heading to Chileka Police Station.

She once headed southern region PRO department before she was moved to Nsanje Police Station. In 2012 under Joyce Banda’s administration, she was transferred to National Headquarters and promoted to the rank of National Press and Public Relations Officer.

Other promotions include Senior Deputy Commissioner of Police Effie Kaitano from Southern Region headquarters who has risen to Acting Commissioner of Police in the Eastern Region.

Willie Mwaluka who for a long time was national police spokesperson has been transferred from Urban Police Blantyre to be SCDP Eastern Region.

SCDP Arlene Baluwa from Eastern Region has been transferred to southern Region headquarters which is a bedrock of criminal activities in the country.

Another promotion has seen Deputy Commissioner of Police Ellen Liganga from Officer-in- Charge Dedza to Director of Airports at Kamuzu International Airport which of late has seen interception of illicit   drugs, round wood mainly by foreign nationals that include Chinese and Nigerians.

Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Emmie Soko who was Mess Manageress, which is viewed as an affluent position has been transferred to head Nkhunga Police and has been replaced by Senior Superintendent K Mtope who was station officer for Mulanje.

Another big promotion has seen Senior Superintendent S Kanyenda who was second in command in the Building Section to Officer in Charge Building Section.—Additional reporting by Maurice Nkawihe, Nyasa Times