Nepotism rocks Malawi education council, non-northerners targeted

A spirited campaign by the Chief Executive Officer of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Dr Matilda Munthali to flush out all staff that do not come from the northern region is hampering the Council’s work and making such staff watch their backs and utterances for fear of dismissals, Nyasa Times has established.

Parliament passed into law Bill 31 of 2010, authorising the creation of the National Council for Higher Education, or NCHE
Parliament passed into law Bill 31 of 2010, authorising the creation of the National Council for Higher Education, or NCHE

The first casualty of Munthali’s tribalistic warfare is the former Chief Procurement Officer Elwing Kondwani, who resigned on November 7, 2014, barely two months into the job.

Munthali gladly endorsed his resignation despite the fact that Kondwani was supposed to serve a month in lieu of notice.

Our investigations revealed that Kondwani threw in the towel because of a continuous systematic campaign by Munthali to marginalise officers from other regions by among other things denying them support and alienating them from the decision making process thereby frustrating them.

Kondwani comes from Chiradzulu.

The Malawi government recently established the Council as a regulatory body for higher education and specifically tasked it with monitoring, registering and accrediting universities and academic programmes.

President Peter Mutharika said the major challenge for the council is to ensure that no university student, whether at a private or a public university, has a sub-standard education.

But his government’s vision for higher education is facing stiff head winds because  Munthali is resolute in pushing out non northerners from the Council hence steering the body from its explicit legal mandate.

NCHE Corporate Service Manager Dingani Soko while confirming the departure of Kondwani for greener pastures, assured Nyasa Times that his office is working hard to ensure that all employees regardless of district or region of origin are treated equally and fairly.

“I do not see the basis for nepotism here,” Soko said.

Soko comes from Mzimba.

However, NCHE Board Chairperson Professor Moira Blessings Chimombo contradicted Soko saying she could not comment on the matter claiming she did not have information on the abrupt departure of Kondwani.

“I cannot answer questions premised on falsehoods,” Chimombo said in an emailed response without clarifying the issue or giving further details.

When contacted for comment Munthali asked for a questionnaire but did not respond despite being sent over 10 emails.

However, our investigations also reveal that Munthali is never short of controversy.

When she worked at the National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST), where was managing the National Health Research Initiative (NHRI) grant, she also had challenges working with officers from other regions.

She doled a majority of the scholarships to northerners.

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APM
APM
9 years ago

scapegoat. inu mungosova mavuto alipowa, osati za kuchoka kwa kondwani. munthu wapanga resign inu mumafuna abwana asavomeleze? koma pa nyasalande anthu sazatheka. mumati amukakamile munthu asakufuna kugwira ncthito? mulibenso manyazi mukamalemba nkhani.

amakep
amakep
9 years ago

This is very true, these northerners are evil. I was once fired just to pave way for a northerner to be employed. Scholarships amangopatsana okhaokha. Malawians lets open our eyes, even in banks pakangokhala waku North ma loans amangopatsana.

Sharktus Nangwale
Sharktus Nangwale
9 years ago

Dingani Soko…..chenjera…stop messing with my woman. Your wife and I both know….stay the fcuk away from my woman…Don’t say you were not warned.

Anthony mwakihana
9 years ago

Is that true?

true
true
9 years ago

The nepotism at NCST is true!!!!!!! Glad someone mentioned it. These people would rather have the money sent back that give support to non northerners. Their vindictiveness is diabolic and distractive. They could not give me a scholarship even to SA, others offered me a better one in USA!!! The sooner they go to Nyika republic the better for Malawi.

Proudly chewa
Proudly chewa
9 years ago
Reply to  true

True that my brother. Malawi will never develop as long as they still be part of it.

bobo
bobo
9 years ago

Dr Msilimba at work..very ambitious young man but tries to use lies. What he wants is Dr Munthali to get sacked. And dumb believes in this gossip.

Nyaliki
Nyaliki
9 years ago

You cewas and Lomwes are fools. You want Tumbukas to be speaking your languages. Why don’t you learn Tumbuka. Inja! muyahlanya!

John
John
9 years ago

I am a northerner but I dont subscribe that one should be appraised basing on region. On one occasion in convince to hirer a guy from Mangochi whom I noted was best and indeed is best.Therefore generallising all northerner is also not goood. Indeed if this boss is running an instituion like this can his bosses take up this matter.

Kateta
Kateta
9 years ago

Our journalists like Fazilla Tembo are ones who are nepotistic, you need to know that you’ve got a responsibility to report responsibly, mind you, as a journalist you could build or break the nation. How does one come up with a headline like that after one person Kondwani, who decides to resign? ok, people do leave their respective jobs without their working out the 30-month notice. What if the CEO was from Ntcheu were you going to say people from the Central Region are nepotistic, generalising like?

Zondiwe
Zondiwe
9 years ago

No 91 and 92, you are liars.
None of your fanciful stories are true and you know it.
The issue here is that someone resigned after working for 2 months.
How many people resign from jobs in Malawi?
As a CEO, I have employed people from all corners of Malawi and have fired
people from all corners of Malawi. That is the work of a CEO.
Do not feed lies to people who read Nyasa Times.

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