Malawi paper backs VP Chilima for sending back shabby dressed council officials, late comers.
Malawi daily newspaper on Monday used its editorial comment to applaud vice president Saulos Chilima for his action last week during the Public Service Reforms Commission meeting with local authorities in Blantyre where he sent back some for late-coming and others for shabby dressing.
The Nation reported that late-comers and poorly-dressed district council officers were send back at Mount Sochi hotel.
Mangochi District Commissioner, James Manyetera, is quoted by the paper that one of his officials was sent back because he was not presentable.
Malawi dressing code for business meetings is lounge suit, shirt and necktie for men and business suit or a national dress for women.
The Nation in the editorial comment agreed with Vice President Chilima to value discipline and time management.
“Reporting late for a meeting without valid reason is being disrespectful,” the paper noted.
“For the record, this was not the first time the Vice President has taken such drastic measures to enforce discipline on time management. The other day he locked out of a meeting some principal secretaries (PSs0 and other senior government officials for reporting late,” reads the editorial comment in part.
It said through such actions, the Vice President is sending “strict signals” about discipline in the public sector and Malawian way of life in general.
“There should be no ‘African time’ syndrome. If it is 8am it should be 8am,” said the paper.
It concluded that successful implementation of reforms in the public sector should start with discipline at individual and departmental level.
This should be the way to go in all public as well as private institutions, despite that the dressing has nothing to do with the output (American style of dressing thus- a jeans and a T-shirt or golf shirt looks casual) and sends a wrong picture to some of us with British Values on dressing, on how we perform out duties. If I am promoted to a manager level (which will be soon mxiew!!), brace for yourselves for strict business dressing codes!
Bravo The VP!!
Let me recommend His Excellency the State Vice President of the Republic of Malawi for giving a warning to officers who work in different government departments. Dressing well it doesn’t mean you should buy a very expensive suit as some folks put it, i am based in Zomba just come to Chinamwala on Sunday afternoon you will find nice attires at a reasonable and cheap prices. Although our economy is in bad shape but that can not be a scapegoat my friends. Some of you guys even if will start receiving K500,000.oo you don’t what to pick on the market,… Read more »
Chilima, performance is not related to dressing. Importantly being well dressed means not one is a performance. Good example is you and your boss the president. I can also include the finance minister Goodall gondwe. You were suits almost all the time, what is the status of the economy of this country? In tatters!!!! You waste time dressing well instead of finding solutions to the myriad of the countries problems. Morons!!!
Thumbs up Mr Vice President. We give credit where it is due. Keep it up!
Keep it up the president! i think if you can go further by making a directive that all women who put on miniskirts in the public places should receive stiff penalties as well.
And more to that Mr VP, they should pay back allowances they got. Bravo Mr VP.
Who are you fooling Mr Chilima? A month ago, you deployed your senior personal assistant Kuchingale to rig the by-elections in Mchinji. What sort of reforms is rigging?
Yes, the civil service needs to reform. But there is no civil servant, either in central government or local government, who comes to the office in Slippers. Why are you lying? Of what benefit are the lies. Mpaka ena mumawabweza chifukwa chobvala safari suit? Who said safari suits are not decent? Komanso Chilima afuna kukhala ngati Kamulepo eti? Empty.
Tamangonyengani atsikana onse omwe achuluka ku ofesi kwanuko?
Are the councillors given enough money to buy decent suits, especially those from remote areas like thyolo mulanje etc sometimes lets face true lialities -you pay peanants you get monkeys. If makasala dont get enough this is what to expect. We are not wrong when we say pay people well.
If the councillors were given enough money they would have bought good clothes and wrist watches or good cell phones(with clocks) to keep time. I for one dont blame them
a Kangankude, mesa ma district council ifficials nde ama cashgate wo, as in several headlines, so why failing to buy presentable clothes? these are officials who have so many means to syphone district finances. your logic seems too illogical.
That’s the way to go Mr Vice President