More heads roll in Malawi civil service: 10 PS, 28 DCs interdicted

February 17, 2021 Wanga Gwede - Nyasa Times 72 Comments

President Lazarus Chakwera  who promised heads will roll  and fired the head of the disaster management department and the Presidential taskforce on Covid-19 co-chair, and suspended further officials, over the K6.2 billion Covid-19 response funds feared mismanaged has intensified the crackdown with 10 principal secretaries (PSs), 28 district commissioners (DCs) and five other senior officers interdicted.

President Chakwera fires several officials and warns ‘no penny meant for saving lives will be stolen, abused or wasted’

Chakwera on Sunday removed Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) commissioner James Chiusiwa alongside Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 co-chairperson Dr John Phuka for purported technical slips.

The PSs or controlling officers suspended are from ministries of Health; Gender, Community Service and Social Welfare; Labour; Education; Homeland Security; Agriculture; Lands; Local Government; and Information.

The presidential press secretary Brian Banda has  confirmed the new shake-up, saying the concerned controlling officers and Covid-19 response cluster heads have also been suspended from their substantive positions in the public service.

“They were in these Covid-19 clusters based on their posts and not as individuals,” he said.

Besides the 28 DCs, the interdictions have also extended to chief executive officers for Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba city councils; Kasungu and Luchenza municipal councils and Mangochi Town Council, according to Banda.

When officers appeared before the taskforce with their reports on how they spent 6.2bn kwacha (£5.8m), only one official had properly backed up reports.

Pressure had been mounting on the President to prove how the millions set aside for planning and public awareness, facilitating the return of Malawians from South Africa border patrols and supporting victims of gender-based violence was being spent.

Chakwera  said the pandemic called for “strong leadership”.

The Presidet said there will be “ a full forensic audit, which the national audit office has already begun, and a full and independent investigation, which the director of public prosecutions has requested the Malawi Police Service to conduct as a matter of urgency.”

He announced that 100,000 additional doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine secured through the African Union would arrive in Malawi this week for the protection of health workers.

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72 replies on “More heads roll in Malawi civil service: 10 PS, 28 DCs interdicted”

  1. COVID corruption firings and theft matters aside. The law will deal with that.
    My issue is on the AstraZeneca vaccine which many other countries have either banned or suspended. Why are we accepting it and giving 100 000 doses to frontline healthcare workers.
    #AtilodzaNdani

  3. Mr President fire ur minutes as well they are of the parcel don’t spare them pls u cleaning the rubble but u leaving other rubble behind it won’t make sense

  4. Chakwera has not honoured his promise of 1million jobs and he is constantly pleading for mercy, patience and for more time from us Malawians. He is getting away with it pretty well with nothing to show in 9 good months. Now how come that Chakwera is failing to understand that the 48hrs which he gave covid cluster heads was too short for them to account for K6,200,000,000.00 and he proceeded in sucking them without even hearing from them? Kodi chisonicho tizingomupatsa Chakwera yekha and yet he is terribly ruthless to others? Just look at the way he is treating Chiunda, Mathanga, Kunje, Phuka, Kabambe etc etc is this not arrogance and impunity of the highest order? If Chakwera will not change, we are taking to the streets anytime soon to demand justice and to push for our 1 million jobs plus K15,000.00 monthly stipend for our grannies. Chakwera ndi mfiti yopemphera ndithu but good for nothing. Fwetseke!

  5. Can someone remind me if anybody was arrested or fired in connection with the K62.5million which was stolen at state house using crossroads hotel? Iwe chakwerangombe udziponya maso ako mbali zonse, mukubisiranji zinazo? Act NOW

  6. We are waiting to join the civil service and work faithfully. Just advertise one position and see how many letters you will receive. Even the TTC applications overwhelm the Ministry of education meaning that someone is playing games with a job someone out there is looking for. We cannot keep thieves in government.

  7. But chakwera we warned you of zanga zanga chikhosi!!he’s putting controlling officers his favourites!!the ones he has been in system together during the dpp reign!!and now you expect that civil service to change it’s behavior and performance?Dull chakwera

  8. All the time the blame is on politicians!!but it’s these civil servants who are thief’s!!and they are the same who pass this corrupt spirit to politicians!!it’s great chakwera has acted on these crooks!bravo chakwera!!mukaona wina akukwiya dziwani ndi civil servant wakuba!!Ana sapita ku school pa Monday!!Salary anadya ndi mahule amadikila kuti abe

  9. Though action has been taken on the ps’s and DC’s this has to be followed with action on controlling officers at every level in the departments. Money is being wasted like the world is coming to an end. One of the schemes is creation of several activities by the controlling officer from which he claims allowances in some cases 40 night allowances. Then one wonders how it is possible for an officer to claim 40 night allowancs in a month from a single tranche of ORT funds. Most worrying is the thought that governmentauditors do not smell a rat on this kind of transactions. Are they part of the scheme to syphon money from government coffers.

  10. Mwamuwonatu Mchewa uja nkhanza zake. Soon Chakwera shall surpass Kamuzu in terms of nkhanza. Akati Lazaro wagwira ntchito ndiye kuti wachotsa munthu ntchito really? How can he suck all DCs and PSes? Why not investigate them case by case and then discipline them as such? Phuma limeneli to please who? Atupele was very right when he said Chakwera does not know anything on running government. This nyau style of leadership should be condemned it strongest terms. Look, all these sucked people were reporting everything directly to their ministers, why is it that not even a single minister has been sucked? Is it because they are his relatives and his church members? Shame to you pedegu. And soon we shall take to streets in anger of the dismissal of these DCs, PSes , Chiunda, Kabambe, Mathanga and Kunje. Ulamula movutika Lazaro!!! Fotseki!!

    1. Am not Mchewa but I am solidily v=behind him even if he fired the whole department othe people will serve better than these mogrels robbers and economic vampires over Malawians. They need to go and rot in Jail for good. Adzikangowaponya ku ndende osawayankhulitsa mpakana atapereka ndaramzo basi. Zithsiru

    3. MUlila tu! We are in government now. Kang’wing’wi style.

      APM analanditsa BOMA hahahahahahahahaha.

      Ife jamming pano ti kudya katatu patsiku.

  12. Kkkkkkk nyekhwelisation imeneyo!!! Why is he sparing Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda mabodza basi bcoz the monies have been misused under her line ministry; tikuwonatu zonsezi!

    1. We also have to understand a minister is not a controlling officer in a ministry!!she doesn’t authorise any payment!!minister are there for policy direction!!sukulu ndiyofunika

  13. well, lets say its a good way to go…..Am however mindful that such interdictions are not concrete enough to establish an ostensible explanation of where the alleged funds have gone….I believe that many are involved in the scandal and we want our President to get to the bottom of it and make substantial recoveries of the money in dispute…At least that will restore our trust

  14. This is a starting point of bringing sanity in the government. Civil Servants should not use low salaries as an excuse because when advertising for jobs salaries are included in the advert. Allowances are not included in the advert. No body forces civil servants to apply for such low paying jobs and I repeat this should not be used as an excuse. Those who want should leave. We are not say do not pay allowances. We are saying do not abuse them. The government should go back to the old system of just allocating a vehicle to the PS and other officers should be driven. No senior officer should be keeping fuel cards. One person should be in charge. When senior people travel they should account for the fuel to the PS or OS. You will see how much you are going to save. Remember that government is not there to serve the interests of the civil servants but all Malawians. Senior civil servants should stop buying public vehicles through katangale but should be auction together with other members of the public. This should include statutory corporations and the Reserve Bank where seniors buy the at 10% of the original value. This is theft.

  15. Many of your cabinet ministers are crooks and plays with your mind Excellence. Fire them straight forward and dont look at their face.Also, remove all government bank accounts from the bank you know better. YOU ARE DEALING WITH CROOKS AND STOP ALLOWANCE THING AND PEOPLE SHOULD GO TO THE LAKE BANKING ON ALLOAWANCES. People have built houses because of false allowances and we know them.Try to visit areas new 47,49, Dzenza, 47 near ABC you will be shocked. Malawi economy will never grow with these crooks you keep them.

  16. Kkkkk ndalama za covid ku Agriculture.
    Kwantere pls go for big fishies not ti ma usipa # ma PS and DC are yu serious?
    Siyani zolambalala fire all those besties, cousins/ nduna za fake#rubble.
    Tanva kuti somba zinayambila kuvunda ku Reserve Bank kwenikweniko, ku opc. Kkkk ma dc aphweka?
    Magulu a Chilimao fire!!! Ose achina Ntambo fire! Zangazanga Chikhosi fire!
    Gospel Kazako and Brian Banda ….Loading………..

  17. Mr MG1,
    This is exactly what we wanted from you,Your Excellency.Don’t spare anyone,scrutinise all nicely they must pay back the monies&be arrested.
    Even your Ministers,check them,most of them are corrupt,you will agree with me.Very few,are straight,they are there really to assist you Your Excellency.
    Also caustion Police to behave/ aproach citizens with manners during their Convid operations…most of them use force,they forget that they are a service.
    Your Excellency,you have taken Government,thanks to God but,it will take time to finally put Malawi as on your wishes,too much dirty in offices,corrupt officials/ministers,Convid etc etc…
    You must really have strong develop minded Ministers to assist you…
    Don’t spare ministers who have performed below average please.
    I wish you well as you clean Malawi/capital Hill and Districts.We RSA based Me citizens,salute your Adminstration.Mwamba makolako,pali tunyakhe,tizamumuphalirani pa mlomo direct…
    Bwana President,tikupempha ka bridge in Lunyina river,between Mzakwacha,Wamzale villages(Mphande VDC)&Chimayi ,Mkupa villages(Mkupa VDC)ku Rumphi,Bolero uko,under The Paramount Chikulamayembe Please…
    Regards,
    Durban.
    Kwazulu Natal.
    RSA.

    Mzakwacha Village
    T/A Chikulamayembe
    Bolero-Rumphi.

    +27724922299.

  18. Good move Mr President but what about Minister of Health she is part of taskforce and she report directly to you

  19. It took 8 months for Talk Talk to fire people he had appointed to steal, and to suspend PS’s and others. This is what is called going at a snail’s pace. Nearly 20% of his first term is over and Talk Talk is still Talk Talk Chakwera. No action all words. Most incompetent President ever.

    1. That’s true in fact with this mess it means he has failed to run the government and he must be the first person to resign. My question is why is he firing PSs only? Why NOT the big FISHES the Ministers because they are the ones who oversee such projects. And for your information the task force Dodma is directly under him Chakwera he must not point fingers NO he knows something and we want him to explain this mess to the Nation.

      1. A Minister reports to the President. So that buck stops with Chakwera and so he must resign himself. Chakwera has failed. A country is not a Church congregation Rev Chakwera. Please leave whilst you can still leave our country intact. Otherwise you will make Malawi a failed state.

    1. Listen to what WHO said. ASTRAZENECAC is very important to low income countries and it should be administered to people expeditiously.

  22. Apa ndiye mwayamba kugwira ntchito tsopano MR.Talk Talk. Si zija mwakhala mukuchita zija ayi. The interdiction must be on half pay according to Civil Service Regulations

  23. Finally Dr. Laz you have done it….more fire, dj? Kweza Volume tivine Ife…our President has got stamina to sit people down.

  24. Yea! that’s a positive move, fire these thieving assholes in the civil services, they have been stealing for too long now and all our attention was on politicians, if a politicians steals 1 million from the government just know that 60 million is gone by these wicked civil servants. Civil servants have fucked up and crippled our economy big time!

  25. 28 DCs? So it means all the DCs have been interdicted? No wonder, we have nothing to show in Malawi. Shake all the civil service and wake them up.

  26. The thing about creating enemies is that they gang up to form a formidable opposition. Look how Dpp through its allogance transformed a gang of Political outcasts and unlikely political allies into the Tonse movement. Tread carefully 2025 sipatali. Most will see this as political persecution. You protected you family after the crossroads gate, you haven’t fired the ministers responsible for Covid gate. You are busy firing everyone who is deemed not to be an Mcp supporter. Busy nepotistic-ally appointing central region party zealots into positions. 2025 mpompano.

  27. Yes Mr President, finally you show the way! But be careful with replacement of this positions! Choose their successors after merit, working ethic, integrity and/or experience! Please let party and appeasement politics aside! Go for pragmatic doers and result oriented achievers! We all know they are difficult to find! Don’t forget to evaluate and check them constantly, to separate the good from the bad! The road ahead is steep and rough, but it have to be gone, to make our meagre budgets available to the one who need and not the one who steals!

  28. The system in the government was very bad. Most senior officers do not work without being given something even when working from home. Allowances are supposed to assist one meet the cost when they spend a night outside their homes but they get paid for even going to places like Mchinji. One question is, where do DCs and CEOs for Blantyre, Lilongwe, Kasungu etc travel to? Do they go to work outside their districts? No wonder Malawi has bad roads, bad schools, bad hospitals, no waste management, etc. Look at the vehicles government officers especially Directors and PSs use with a policy of self driving. They steal fuel and this has demoralized the drivers who were employed to drive them. Chakwera promised to stop the bleeding and you must not renegade on this. This is poor man’s tax in the village. This tax which someone outside government works for. Still on the same, look at what Nankhumwa was pocketing on allowances. Even if you operate from Mulanje you cannot use fuel up to K260,000 (315 litres of diesel and possibly as leader of opposition he was claiming from the National Assembly) with the cars that have commonrails and VVTis. Kondwani you want to be president of Malawi? Why were you silent all this time? Surely before one is reimbursed, he must show a receipt. So Nankhumwa was showing receipt yojudula with petrol attendants. Please do not bring back these PSs.

  31. I commend His Excellency for his bold and very decisive steps taken so far in this unfortunate incident.

    This is indeed the right time to deal with this rot which has beset our nation.

    This is a very difficult process, but the fruits of the shall speak for themselves , if handled the way you have started.

  32. Atchalosi Kettie mumusiya? Sphiwe Mauwa watch out. Local govt mpaka ma 10 nights ma allowance a covid??? Kumapatsana ku VIP kokhakokha? ACB anthuwa anadya zambili audit iyambile pamene covid inayambila Been Phiri analandola nawoso

  33. So the whole leadership of the civil service will now be filled with MCP people from Cabinet, Commisioners oof MEC to DCs, PSs, CEOs of municipalities? Chakwera is using this to bulldose his MCP henchmen on every level, this kokoliko strategy will soon backfire.

    1. Bola olowawo atakonza zinthu. akaonetsetse kuti malamulo a allowances akutsatidwa. boma is pumping alot of money koma pa ground nothing is happening. night allowance makamaka is being abused.

      1. tatiinetsani list ya maina ao.

        okuba nkhku amulemba
        dzina
        age
        mudzi ndi boma locokera ndipo pa nthawiyo anavala buluku olo shati yanthundu orele.
        ife tingofuna maina ao analikukuti amenewa. mbanda..
        a Cithanki ankaonesa receipt lojudula kkkkkkk igweeeeee. chineku

  36. How about STATE HOUSE staff who stole millions in conjunction with Crosroads Hotel? When is the president going to fire them? Are they being spared because the group includes his family members?

  39. That’s the spirit of MCP ruling. Now I see new jobs being created for the party loyalist through replacement of most of these offers and thereafter the whole country shall be filled with regime DCs and controlling offers. They guys after 26years in opposition, they are not here just to distribute sweets. Just wait and see.

      1. Not to worry.In 2025, the tables will turn around. All the Youth League camp will suffer the same consequences.

    2. People must be serious with the govt. Resources it is not just a matter of MCP being in the opposition no but it is time to fix a good image for our country.
      There are thieves in most of the govt departments and therefore this strategy will sanitise the system.

  40. These firing and suspensions will not take you anywhere. Who do you think shall work in those capacities of the suspended officers? Bwana President mukuchita ziganizo kufuna kuonetsa Malawians mphavu zanu za president. You will find yourself at the wrong side of the equation. You are neither the police nor ACB and not FIA. Your job is not being an Auditor and don’t tell me that you are a dictator. You will not fire these DCs and obviously they will sabotage your efforts and in the end you will be a failure. Your actions too have costed taxpayers money and continue to do so and looks like you do not care at all. Your actions will cost us so much and that we will not progress. Wise up Mr president….you will not run this show by yourself.

    1. And what is your opinion Sir, what do you want the President to do? People were saying that he is a talk talk no action President now he has taken action, it is only suspensions anybody who feels that is being victimised will go to court. All these guys who have been suspended are University graduates they know their rights so here the President has done what Malawians have been asking him to do. I don’t see any problem here. They must bring reports to show how they used the money allocated to their respective entities. We have been singing about decentralisation now it’s up to those in the Councils to show that they can deliver.

    3. Sometimes it is necessary to take bitter medicine to get the healing that you want. There are times when a whole body part has to be cut off in order to get that healing. It is not a nice experience but it has to be done. After all, you are the same people who would have been calling the president a weak leader if he had not done this.

      Bravo Mr President! Show them that you are serious about healing this country. Mwayamba bwino bwana, keep it up mwina anthu aphunzire kulemekeza katundu wa boma.

      1. presdent amene analumbilitsidwa masana. ena analumbitsidwa kawili
        1.opanda bible
        2.kenako ndi bible ati pakuti anaiwala
        3 kulumbilitsidwa ndi usiku ngati kulibe masana.
        Mulungu sakondwera nazo ncito zambili za usiku apart from a contracted night shift at a legalised aknowledged organization.
        bhasi.
        sesa sesa sesa psa koka.

    5. okhyy fuso lati nde azigwila ncito ndi ndani mmene acotsedwa anthuwa. oky awa acotsedwa kaamba sanagwile ncito yomwe analonjeza kuti azagwilila anthu ndi boma. anaphwanya lonjezo . kunjaku kuli anthu ambilimbili oti atha kuigwila ncito zimenezi.
      eg why we still smiling for defaulted MEC members who were at forefront kugula TIPPEX mu boma la dpp lija. PS wa ku labour office muzimai uja ankauza staff yake ndipo zitaveka anathawamo mu office. are we sure we want to adore the DCs okuba magalimoto aboma kumati anasowa olo kusekerera ma DC opititsa ku garage kangolo ka galimoto and pay K1millon for such service????? NONSENSE. Malawians voted out dpp for the massive corruption issues occiring even with the past regime. ACCOUNTABILITY WAS NOT THERE. TOO MUCH FEASTING ”BANQUETS” TRIPS. including local and international” UN” trips and that one of kukapeza ma INVESTORS. since then how many investors have been hete. anthu amangopita konjoya and massive expenditures ku UK hotels and enrich that contracted mmwenye kumamugula zovala etc ku LONDON. organised gang crime. We know iit and some officials in the high commision in the UK knows this.
      MALAWIANS DON’T WANT THIS. VOTED OUT PAST REGIME TO CLEAR THE RUBBLE AND TO TRY DEVELOP MALAWI. THEY NEED TO SE AT LEAST A DIFFERENT FACE OF MOTHER MALAWI.
      SO LET US HELP ONE ANOTHER IN THIS EXERCISE. PLEASE.

      1. I sometimes wonder that some comments do not carry sense , why should we entertain misappropriation of funds at the expense of political affliation ? Why should we let plundering of resources because we fair the consequences of rooting out this vice ? Mr President fire all that are part of this useless behavior of public plundering in this so called system .Don’t be misguided by these clueless heads that think protection of their guys would make things move no that won’t help .Let’s face the reality here Chotsani osantha ikaponi omwe amantha boma si mpingo osamvera chisoni munthu you 5 years to perform or not .The same people will go against you by being the first to rate you so watch out .All the best as you make bold decisions to develop mother Malawi .

      2. There are other capable people who can do the job. No body has a natural right to the positions. The positions are there in official capacity and any qualified can fill up those position.

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