Removal of Malawi army commander ‘politically motivated’ – Analyst

March 17, 2020 Wongani Chiuta - Nyasa Times 95 Comments

President Peter Mutharika’s  removal of  Commander of the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) General Vincent Nundwe from his post has  triggered reaction from commentators with governance expert saying it is politically motivate in the wake of forthcoming fresh elections.

Munthali: It doesn’t require one to be a political scientist to appreciate the fact that the decision is largely politically motivated

Muthatika on Tuesday replaced Nundwe  with Major General Peter Andrew Lapken Namathanga without providing an explanation.

Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) said in a statement that Nundwe and  his former deputy responsible for operations Lieutenant General Clement Namangale  will be” assigned other duties in the Public Service”.

In an interview with Nyasa Times, social and governance commentator Makhumbo Munthali said the move to replace Nundwe is politically inspired.

“Definitely there may be technical reasons to justify such replacements but it doesn’t require one to be a political scientist to appreciate the fact that the decision is largely politically motivated,” Munthali said.

“The events that have characterised the country for the past 8 months where the Army  won the hearts of many locally and internationally by acting professionally in their handling of demonstrations  is the main reason why Nundwe has been fired,” he suggested.

The governance experts said Nundwe in this regard is being punished for failure to take political rally orders from the President on using force against protesters

“Looking at the current political context Mutharika may not be looking for  a professional commander of Nundwe’s calibre but rather someone who would play a partisan card in favour of the ruling party especially when dealing with any potential demonstrations.

“Besides, the decision also signals insecurity on the part of the President where he would want to have someone he thinks can protect him in the context of his dwindling public trust levels,” said Munthali.

However, the governance expert said from experience and history the  Malawi army has proved not to be an easy institution to be politically infiltrated  even if those appointed as Commanders have been appointed with the objective of pursuing narrow political interests.

“Memories are still afresh of how General  Henry Odillo despite being appointed by Bingu wa  Mutharika rose to the occasion to defend the Constitution when it mattered most

“In short, the Army has over the years demonstrated to be above one individual by sticking to professionalism, and it would be naive for Mutharika to expect that by replacing Nundwe with a seemingly favourable General to him would automatically stiffle the professional operations of the Army. This might backfire as the Army has a legacy to protect,” he continued.

The Malawian army has played a crucial role during times of political and social turbulence.

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95 replies on “Removal of Malawi army commander ‘politically motivated’ – Analyst”

  1. .. Just feeling sorry for General Nundwe, being strike twice , mwana wake anamuphera for working in organisation that was presumed to have printed extra ballot papers and he is also being removed for being a professional soldier… pa Nyasalande pano.. nkhanga zawona

  2. The analyst is a tumbuka and no wonder he is defending his fellow home boy. Nundwe was more sympathetic to Mtambo and his fellow terrorist than those whose properties were destroyed.

    In the broader picture, he was more pro opposition than govt so the president is very right to replace him

  3. Chitolerapapo, So you wanted Nundwe to be carrying out all evil orders from Mutharika? Note that among all the people under APM, there are others who fear God and are ready to do His will, not a selfish man’s wishes. Nundwe is not like Dausi, despite having all the weapons at his disposal, he chose to obey God, just like Balaam. Please read Numbers 22, the whole chapter, but I draw your attention to verses 9 -12, then 14-19 & 22. Despite all the tactics APM is using, God is in control and ready to save us from Mutharika’s cruel leadership. Nundwe will not suffer as God will make a way for him! Inu ndi u sceptic wanuwo, khalani chomwecho!

  4. Nundwe yo tu zake zinayela kale was there in military service before your tippex president came into power, not was he employeed by Peter in military no, he went to school trained in military service, was capable of his job.If he retired will get his pension as pensioner every month s till his death, will never go begging in the streets neither his wife and children. Has been there before your appointed by tippex president Peter. He never asked Peter that rank meaning was capable of what trained and orders of the constitutional law whether Army or Malawi.

  5. Hold on the people of Malawi you don’t need to worry, the incumbent is now history its a matter of a few months there will be a new Commander In chief.

    1. Africa has had real strongmen, ma presidents oti akayankhula dziko limajejemela, even azungu amaopa APM does not even come close to that. He can only be another loser and go down in history as one president who tried and pretended to be strong and miserably failed.

  6. Normally thus what happens when an employee disobeys his boss. Politics aside the commander reports and takes orders from the sitting president. But when the commander starts talking orders from opposition and civil societies, finally he ends up in dust bin

    1. Nundwe went to school and trained in Army he knows he’s job can never be interfered, he’s not bothering at all and will manage to live his normal life .was never employeed by tippex present came when nundwe was already in military service and tippex present will leave living nundwe In his position a defensive military what a shit are you talking about his boss. In fact did he told you that he’s sorry for leaving the position, his not greedy like your tippex present and Jane Ansah/ MEC whom are worrying to live since both there targets is to fulfill their own satisfaction.

      1. Nundwe did not know his job. He protected thieves and lotters. He turned the army into an opposition paramilitary wing.

      2. Which school are you talking about? My brother, sister, my uncle, my friends and more are there. The same school.. Mbuzi iwe ukuona ngati usilikali ili ndi school yapadela kuti tikanjenjemele

  7. Arny is mostly used by dictators to kill the demostrators or civilians only.the Malawi army they acted professional.because they acted very neutral and professional.normal if there internal confusion they use police not army no.dont give arny commanders of Malawi a trouble courser no no no.let me tell you ladies and gentlemen.army is used when there is a problem with other countries yes you can use army not against your own people who doesnt a guns no.mutharika and his mob of mec they made their shit of cheating votes now the court had decided to nullfy the votes.now they blame the army why?mutharika is not going to win this election never

    1. Mpoto si tumbuka my friend, lomwe si Malawi Yao si Sena. M’mang’anja si ngoni si mchewa . Mtonga si mngoni si mtumbuka si mnkhonde si mlambia si msuku . Tumbuka ndi mtundu mpoto ndi Dera pakati ndi kumwera onse ndi a Malawi. President sangachoje Madera onse kapena maboma ndi mitundu yonse . If they are fighting for their rights let them do so neither lhomwe or Yao in Malawi’s history anamenyera ufulu they know what they are doing will realise that in future zitayela mudzadyelela poti Iwo amamenyela inu kudyelela. Freedom is coming tomorrow will never give up viva Malawi is one black people in fact anyani osekana michila.

  10. Atumbuka mwalephera ntchito. Look now Lilongwe and Mzuzu are in ruins because of your sleepy nundwe. Mtambo would smash anything that comes his way and yet left scot free and unaccountable just because mtumbo is a fellow tumbuka to nundwe. Shupiti zanu atumbuka, nundwe waonongetsa Malawi.

  11. The president should fire his advisors rather. His decisions lately have shown how he is disengaged from the current political situation. Wake up Mr. President before it is too late.

  12. You don’t know what you’re talking about, when the president sucks the cabinet or desolve cabinet is okay, but when he fires the army general,then it’s political motivation. Balance your comments

    1. What are you talking about? Are you politicians? Don’t base yourselves on hear says. Wake up look forward and look back.
      Ngati muli anzeru define

  14. Do you mean Jane Ansah and mec @ tippex Peter are your gods to be praised I don’t get your point here . The only wise and untouchable . Watching a far distance

    1. You should say ‘YOU and your cohorts.’ There are so many people who support president Mutharika because they know the judiciary is corrupt and making rulings in favour of the opposition.

  16. walephera kuteteza anthu mashop kubedwa. anthu kuwotcheredwa nyumba iye osakasungitsa bata akhad it been kuti iyeyo sanali kumbali yotsutsa akanateteza anthu kuti ikhale peaceful demonstration koma naye nundwe amaonetseratu mbali yomwe iye ali

  17. akuba awa akufuna abe boma dzuwa lili ng’a! komabe ambuye ndiwabwino amenya nkhondo mpaka mapeto. ife kudabwa kuti majudge angoti ichi ayi osadziwa kuti achilima apatsa banzi. tikakwera mapiri kusala kudya mpaka choona chake chichitike ambuye sataya wake .chomwe tawona apa anthu onsewa akudana ndi apm ndi apansi panyajna .komabe adziwe ichi apm amatsogoleledwa ndi mulungu ndipo akutetezedwa ndi mzimu woyera choncho tsiku lina satana adzagonja. tipemphere zolimba

  19. The president does not owe you Mr. Munthali any explanation for removing general Nundwe. Nundwe was not a god at MDF that he could not be removed.

  22. No. Nundwe technically failed to protect the shops that were being smashed by protesters. His soldiers were there but failed to protect motorists whose vehicles were smashed. Shops were looted. He only protected the right to demonstrate.

      1. So tell me nde kuti mwini wa shop sanali citizen? Kapena shop yo imasogoledwa galu, anthu amagwila mu shop wo sanali ma citizen? Mbuzi iwedi eti…

  24. Some of these appointments are political in nature and so they require political motivation to be resolved. I dont see anything wrong strange with this development. You cannot trust someone to protect your life when you dont trust him to be loyal to you. Honestly that post is for someone sharing a common vision with the leader. So APM needs to put his stooges there. Tisintha boma likasintha and give it professionals to manage our security. Let them dance to the the last verse of this closing song of.their political careers!!

    1. To make the rank of General in the Army is no mean feat! You do realize how stupid your comment sounds right?

  26. Malawi forget about fresh election forget about Mutharika out of this presidency till he wishes so to remove forget that Jane Ansah and mec will be fired as the wishes of so many Malawians , what you unfair to democracy not Peter Mutharika. He’s making sure by all means covering his dirties and the DPPs than Malawi. Let his will will fulfill unless you are ready to die if you think may fighting what may think is unfair. This is professor no one wiser or educated than himself in Malawi just forget everything you were dreaming to change even the judgement itself from the five judges of constitutional court to him was useless and now him and MEC can’t see any lawyer in Malawi to back them up all are in educated and don’t know the laws of Malawi except him the professor mec and now the south African private lawyer , God bless Malawi keep it a land of peace. He has the right yes to change every positions and cabinet ministers he also has the right to do what pleases him and the few not the nation as whole.

    4. Koma kunja kungade bwanji imafika nthawi kumacha basi. Obadia 1:1 ff amati ngakhale utawuluka ngati chiombankhanga ndidzakutsitsa ati Yehova wamakamu. Kumbukirani nkhani ya ana a Israeli ali ku Egypt Mulungu adaumitsa dala mtima wa Pharaoh kuti adzaone ukulu wa Mulungu tsono Pharaoh wathuyi musiyeni adzaona polekera Mulungu adzatimenyera nkhondo ndipo a Egypto mukuwaonawa simudzawaonanso.

  27. How can you misspell the name of the state president? Please edit your articles and avoid rushing to publish unedited stories otherwise people will take your haste as biasness

  28. I concur with the view that this is politically motivated. APM believe that he was betrayed by the army hence this move. The irony is that he has refused to fire MEC commissioners because he believe they have his interest at heart. Hope the army will continue to be professional regardless.

  30. munanyanya atumbuka matama,mumvekele ku court ,ku army ndku parliament mukulamulila.kkkkk
    tsankho mumayambitsa nokhatu kenako muzilila

  35. This Munthali guy seems to have a regional issue not political issues,and he doesn’t know what issues the Army is seating with plus the retirement of Nundwe,please Amunthali ndi jacket yanu yovala ku ukwatiyo you think You come here and tell us about Army issues.
    Please grow up

  36. Atumbuka you want him to be in service even after reaching mandatory retirement age of 65? Munakhala bwanji? And these so called governance experts arent really worthy their positions. Rather call them utmcp spokespersons.

    1. Ayao Mesa mumasoka ku mpoto konko a telala athu bwanji wanena Kuti mthali ndi wa mtundu wa chitimbuka ku mpotoko? Even under could be just a Northerner by region not tumbuka by tribe .

      1. Nundwe could be a Northerner by region regardless his tribe we never know . Not all Northerner you see them incharges are tumbuka. Tumbuka tribe is as small district like balaka or phalombe.

  37. Desperate times requires desperate measures. Imagine if Peter was ruling in one party system. Lucky enough he won’t last long, no matter what. We need to thank those who fought and died for democracy in Malawi.

  42. We have Andrew Nyirenda as Chief Justice and Gotani Hara as Speaker of Parliament – both from the north. That is in addition to Nundwe, from the north too. People from other regions matter too.

  45. Mankhumbo Munthali you should stop churning your tumbukalized shit. Nundwe reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 on December. You obviously do not know this fact idiot.

    1. dont talk shit here you know for sure that north people went to school u can see ur jane asar her english its like a standard 8 leaner kkkkk then u say all position is from north kkk agulu inu

        1. Hi awanso awa atela inu ndiye onunkha thukutalo a kuswakuswa sukulu ya ulimi wa fodya ku mpoto hehede awanso poti Peter amachokera Boma la kwanu ku thyolo basic ukuona Ngati nawenso ndiwe professor waku Jerusalem university anthu osaphunzira ndi choncho matama. Inutu or Peter samakuthiwaniyi

    3. Nundwe has been redeployed within the Civil service. Sipanatchulidwe retirement apa you blind and deaf moron

    5. Not retirement age. Go to mec you will find people older than nundwe why is he not firing them? This tpex president is kaka but weather u like it or not after 150 days this country will not have a president don’t bring confusion in Malawi u will regret it mxieew.

    6. Ubongo obwata madzi uwu wa kuswakuswa ndi mtundu opanda Mano , kwathu Kuno ku Malawi kulibe mtundu opanda Mano Ngati alomwe, odzifila kudziona Ngati anthu kapena more than educated than any other Malawi or kuposa tumbuka kupusa, mu history ya Malawi mulibemo mlomwe anamenyelapo ufulu mukudyelelawo zophyaiphya , udziti zikomo achewa ndi akumpoto or a Yao sinamvepo kuti they faught any freedom , what does your tribe know about rights. U professor omweu wa pitala Wu nkhamanga kingdom ifinyike hiiih si size yako ukinama. Manja ulutypilanso opotoka even mu jacket can’t suite suitable in its position nonsense.

  47. Very troubling. You have a very desperate man, who knows he cannot win an election. Will disregard courts if they rule against him. Wants to control the army. Thought he controlled MEC until Concourt shut him down.

    1. You mean the incompetent ConCourt judges who do not understand that a court should not make rulings that are subject to politics. Anyone with a critical mind has seen that our judges’ incompetence has been exposed.

      1. If the Judges are incompetent, why spend K600 million on appeal case when the Government cannot afford to buy medicines in hospitals, people are dying of hunger in rural area? Thus why our Comrade Simbi said that, “DPP leadership ali ndi nzeru ngati za Bakha (duck). A duck after swimming in clean water it will go and swim again in mud”. DPP leadership has set its priorities upside down.

  49. Malawi Malawi. Everything political . How many presidents in this country have r emoved people from positions. Kamuzu used to do that. Removing you from the toilet you will say political
    When will will grow mentally Malawians
    Even Trump removes people from positions. Umbuli baasi. Mmitu mwazadza mafinya thoo

    3. You can say that again. The problem is that any move a government makes is political. Stop thinking about ill things towards those who are making decisions. Anyway, a President is has a prerogative to choose who to work with and in a cordial manner, if he feels unsafe, the best way is to pave way to others he feels will work with him well. On my side, my opinion is the human rights groups are the ones who contributed to the removal of the Army Commander. They showered him with praise and disregarded the one who placed him in that position, thats it.

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