Muhara booted out of OPC, returns to Judiciary: Chikhosi is new Chief Secretary, 2 convicted PSs face axe

June 29, 2020 Paul Chamdimba Nkhoma -Nyasa Times 31 Comments

President Lazarus Chakwera has  appointed new Chief Secretary to the Government,  Zangazanga Chikhosi, replacing  Lloyd Muhara, who recently drew public wrath for writing Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda to “proceed on leave pending retirement” in December 2021.

The former Solicitor General Janet Chikaya-Banda now deputy chief secretary
Llyod Muhara: Back to the bench and meet same Chief Justice he  wanted  out
PS Cliff Chiunda: At OPC
PS for Ministry of Agriculture Gray Nyandule Phiri

Muhara was conspicuously absent when  at Chakwera  swearing-in ceremony  on Sunday.

Chikhosi will be deputised by Dr Janet Chikata Banda SC.

Muhara is a judge of the High Court, though he has never delivered any judgement,  but on secondment to the Executive.

He used to be director general of Malawi Revenue Authority.

However, sources say he may also face investigations over wrongful self-enrichment.

Currently, the  Office of the President and Cabinet  (OPC) is being managed by Principal Secretary (Administration) Cliff Chiunda.

Chiunda  is a convict together with another principal secretary at Agriculture,  Grey Nyandule-Phiri but they are still serving in their respective positions despite a court ruling recommending their removal.

President Chakwera’s administration has said it will follow rule of law and the two PSs are going to be sacked.

The High Court on March 6 this year slapped the two with a 24-months suspended sentence for contempt of court. They were found guilty of defying an order by the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal to make a public apology for a faulty procurement and disposal of 100 tractors and 144 maize shellers–a deal popularly known as Tractorgate.

The equipment was bought in 2011 with a $50 million (about K37 billion) loan from Exim Bank of India.

In his ruling, High Court judge Charles Mkandawire observed that by disobeying the court order, the two PSs challenged the authority of the Judiciary, which is another arm of government, and the court asked the appointing authority for consideration that the two should no longer hold such high positions.

According to the ruling, what the two public officers committed was a serious breach and violation of Section 12 of the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi.

Mkandawire argued that the law also applies to the President who can be removed from office if he violets the Constitution, adding: “If this can lead to removal of the President [from office], why not such officers?

“Why should senior public officers be spared from disciplinary proceedings? I, therefore, recommend to the appointing authority, through the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC), to look into this issue as a matter of urgency; otherwise, the two respondents have lost their moral authority to lead others in these ministries.

“I am aware that my mandate was to sentence the two respondents or contemnors. It is, however, imperative that these courts should cultivate jurisprudence on the consequences that can follow once a public officer seriously violates the Constitution. This is to test our democracy whether we are indeed serious with constitutionalism,” reads the ruling, in part.

The Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances and Public Reforms has  asked the new government to dismiss the officials in the civil service  to avoid  setting a bad precedent to what the law advocates.

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31 replies on “Muhara booted out of OPC, returns to Judiciary: Chikhosi is new Chief Secretary, 2 convicted PSs face axe”

  2. Akutitu muhara anachita kulanda mervis ku blantyre. Pano mwamunayo angolirira kukoma kwa mervis

  3. No problem Muhara leaves with mervis mangulenje home afterall kulinso mwana kwa mangulenje.

    1. nchito za mma office mu.
      zibwezi thoo.
      azibambo ambili akulela ana oti sanagwelemo kkkkk

  4. Onse kwao ndimadziwako ku Phalombe. But Muhara even Judgement ya ku Court saiziwa secondment yopusa kwambiri muwuzzeni azipita ku tchutu iyeyo

  5. Muhara amanyengana ndi Mervis Mangulenje a hlomwe okha okha.Medf m.mangulenje of Phalombe

  6. Muhara Loyed wrote Nyirenda his boss to go on leave, Nyirenda salimbana ndi ahlmomwe wa chifukwa school yawo ambiri ndi ma points AKUBA

  9. yeeees – mbava zonse za cashgate muzinjate – ndiponso mukhonza kusintha all banknotes kuti mbava zonse zili
    ndi ma bagi ma bagi a makwacha m’manyumba mwao zichakwale😀😀

  11. Muhara amangidwe paja alindichibwenzi chake Chief Executive Officer wa Mardef. Lol anthu oipa mmipando kuikamo dzibwenzi a Malawi kumavutik muona nyekhwe.

  12. Muhara is a bastard and criminal and should now face the music. While at MRA he had been sponsoring DPP using our taxes.

    Thank God CHANGE is finally here

  13. Chiunda from a professional economist to a cadet. The Capitol Hill is rotten and must be cleaned up. The Civil Service Commission was full of cadets who used to scrutinize candidates based on the districts of origin. One of the cadets at the Civil Service Commission who happens is Joseph Nkuna and another is a Mphepo, a brother to Francis Mphepo. These operated as agents of terror and promoted tribalism. Ben Botolo is another bad person who should be sent to South Sudan as ambassador or should be sent back to National Statistical Office where he came from. The civil service should be freed from politics.

    1. Botolo shouldn’t be sent to NSO. NSO needs a shake up as well. They have two habitual thieves .

  14. Don’t worry Mr Muhara and I know you are a great man. There is life after this and we will fight for DPP to come back into govt.

  16. Judges Muhara and Ansah ran errands for Mutharika so well (were they threw away to the dogs any pretenses of integrity and professionalism) that they were left with battered images that no amount of surgery can repair! Seriously I find their integrity and professionalism so wanting and damaged I do not know if they can handle any cases with integrity and professionalism!!!!

  19. Muhara must be ashamed of yourself, see now what life has landed you into, very shameful cadet Chief Secretary to govt, how do you face your own boss Justice Andrew Nyirenda

  20. So he’s going back to the judiciary and report to the CJ the same he tried to sack… This is a small world.

      1. Dont attend to him he is a fool kukhalira kuba. Can anyone disclose here who was judged by muhara

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