Seodi says public officers resisting reforms in Malawi govt
Newly appointed chief director in the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) Seodi White has said government will move on with public service reforms despite the fact that some people are resisting them.
White was speaking on Wednesday in Mangochi at a local government meeting for district commissioners.
“These public officers are frustrating reforms because they can’t see individual benefits,” she said.
She said the situation is the same at local government level where officials are resisting change, they are rejecting the reforms.
“There is great resistance for change. But change is a system. They should look at a bigger picture of Malawi,” she said.
She said even if the reforms might not benefit the present public officers, a generation to come of their children would benefit a lot.
However, critics challenge that President Peter Mutharika and White are themselves public officers rejecting the change.
Mutharika appointed White to the position without advertising for the position of the chief director of public service reforms in the OPC contrary to the recommendations by White and the other commissioners who sat in the Public Service Reforms Commission which was chaired by vice president Saulos Chilima.
The president also appointed Evelyn Mwapasa to the position of CEO for Escom without following procedures of appointments in the public service.
Speaking at the same meeting, Local Government minister Kondwani Nankhumwa bemoaned thefts and corruption which he said has reached high levels in councils.
Nankhumwa said the government will soon start cracking down on abuse of public funds in councils.
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The reform programme is run on assumption, not research-based evidence or without a strategy. My view is that this programme can succeed if proper sensitization is done with the top civil servants including Ministers for them to appreciate the importance of the programme. Normally, it is people with positions of influence or old people that resist change. Think of the case of the use of condoms during the early days – old people found it very strange to use a condom while the young ones were excited and went flat out to try them and got used to them. So,… Read more »
Seodi, did you and your team, in your wildest dreams, hope you would reform public offices. Go back in time and tell us what happened to the famous Chatsika Report.Personality I knew the Project would fail the minute it was taken away from VP to OPC. Reforming the civil service requires a leader with guts, something lacking with the current government.
SEODE,
YOU TALK OF RESISTANCE TO REFORMS BECAUSE THERE IS NO INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT. YET YOU HAVE BENEFITED AS A REFORM COMMISSIONER BY GIVING YOURSELF A TOP JOB AFTER THE PROCESS. YOU ARE THE ONE WITH A MINDSET OF INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT.
White Seodi, be White indeed with such a position in Dpp led govt. Malawians missed you alot my dear sister over the years. I remember late Anthony Livuza together in a flight to Europe, whispering to me saying that, ” if Bingu can incorporate Amayi awa mu Boma, zinthu zikhoza ku sitha”. Today you have such a position in Peters govt a brother to Bingu, I congratulate you. I wish Livuza was alive to witness this. But, Mrs White, positive reforms start at bedroom level then full house and finally out for public consumption and scrutiny. Its unfortunate that all… Read more »
ana a m’bomawa kudelera, ofunika mukawakalipila choncho muchindenso onse akudelerani akuziwensinso kuti momie ndinu patali. thetsani kunyoza basi
This is what happens when you run the affairs of a country as if you running a personal estate . reforms were really good and important for Malawi but they should have gone through Parliament for them to have a country wide acceptance . The problem with DPP is that, everything they think of doing must benefit themselves first. They design a program with people who will benefit in mind.
Will soon crackdown corruption?How soon,2019?When did you realise,after zbs report?
No way. You are failures, accusing your own reflection in the mirror.