Malawi Police recruitment system is at fault -Opposition

Malawi Police recruitment system is at fault and contributing to security lapses, leader of opposition Lazarous Chakwera and the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Internal Security, Enock Chihana have observed.

President Mutharika at the police pass out parade
President Mutharika at the police pass out parade

Chakwera, who is also president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP), has faulted the unprofessional recruitment of police officers whom he said most of them are party zealots who do not take the law seriously.

“I have stated over and over again on what they can do to change things for the better but they have a prerogative to disregard what I have been saying.

“In recruitment you do not take party zealots and say these should be police men and women, its not even just now, these things that we are seeing now is as result of systematic way of not being professional in what the recruitment has been done,” said Chakwera during the interview with Times TV.

Malawians are witnessing continued spate of robbery and killings.

Chakwera also spoke against the police and citizens taking the law into own hands and that law enforcers should not be own jury and judges over security and court matters.

The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Internal Security, Enock Chihana, also criticised the recruitment of cops.

Chihana said the recruitment process for police officers is “so lacking that the service has even recruited thieves and thugs.”

He said: “We have noticed that when recruiting these officers, there is no background check and to make things worse the training period is too short as it ranges from three to six months. You cannot churn out a fully baked police officer in such a short period.

“ Imagine somebody today is a civilian but by December they are in a police uniform. It is very pathetic and self-destructive; how can one grasp all the courses a police recruit has to undergo such as psychology, discipline and many others that relate to their type of job within such a short time?

“We have even discovered that despite it being short, the recruitment process is highly nepotistic such that a senior officer can just pick up a drunkard who is loafing at his village and enrol him at the police training school.”

Chihana said a police job is a calling and “one should not be a police officer simply because there is nothing he could do, but one has to have the intention and will to join the service.”

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Keen Observer
9 years ago

When you hear the leader of the opposition is talking nonsense just know that the government is doing fine cos they don’t have anything to oppose? Police must move with time & be ready to respond when need arise.

Jang'ala
9 years ago

Kkkk. Kodi a MCP mwaziwa liti zimenez? When did MCP born? Zachamba eti? Ingonenani zoti musinthe recruitment system.

Austin Kayendah
Austin Kayendah
9 years ago

They do it as it is family service. Ofunako tilikalembera olo ndikutiitana komwe ku ma interview, timangomva kuti anthu apita kuma training. Anthu odzikonda amenewa

baggio
baggio
9 years ago

Ur saying the trulful,amagotenga adzibale awo if things will not charge a Malawi tidzakhala mabvuto adzachitetezo pamka kale kale

magawagawa
magawagawa
9 years ago

MCP komanso PP inalowapo mboma, bwanji osasintha period ya trainning, ndi unifom ndinu vitsiru eti.

jimbo
jimbo
9 years ago

I have noticed on the photograph that the new recruits have rifles. Are guns part of the standard equipment for police officers in Malawi?

Abiti Joyce Hilda Ntila Kachale Banda
Abiti Joyce Hilda Ntila Kachale Banda
9 years ago

Che Chakwera ndi che Chihana, mwadzidziwa liti zimenezi? Is it from MCP, UDF, DPP, PP and now DPP times? Zimenezi zidayambikatu ngakhale a Kamwana asanakhale Inspector General. Tapitani ku Mponela mukaone.

Jelbin mk
Jelbin mk
9 years ago

DPP cadets now will have nothing to say because the president in waiting has not only criticized but has also given suggestions on what the government should do in order to bring about sanity in our Malawi police service. If the question on security was put to Peter you would have heard what he could say,he could start with accusing Joyce Banda that she didn’t hand over power thus why there was security lapse.

Bornface c Mwale
Bornface c Mwale
9 years ago

Zoona
akungolembana
pa
chibale
banja
a
police
shame
on
you Bones

Mlauzi
Mlauzi
9 years ago

Too much nepotism in recruitment

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