Thodi appointed new Malawi chief spy replacing Dausi
President Peter Mutharika has picked a former police officer, Elvis Thodi, a highly skilled and experienced security connoisseur, as the chief of the country’s spy agency, Nyasa Times can exclusively reveal.
Mutharika appointed Malawi Revenue Authority’s (MRA) head of administration and former Chief Immigration Officer, Thodi, to replace verbose Nicholas Dausi, who has since been appointed as Information and communication technology Minister, as the new head of National Intelligence Service (NIS) formerly National Intelligence Bureau (NIB)
Government sources have confirmed that Mutharika has behind closed doors hired Thodi to take care of state intelligence.
Impeccable sources at Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) have also confirmed that President Mutharika in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by Section 111 Sub-Section (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi has allotted the former Police Commissioner and director of research at the National Police Headquarters to be the new spy chief.
“We have been informed of Mr. Thodi’s appointment as the new director of the National Intelligence Service,” said the source.
Added the OPC source: “The appointment is with immediate effect and Mr. Thodi has already swung into full action at the state intelligence agency.”
Thodi was getting a handover at his new office the whole of the Friday afternoon.
Recently, the Malawian leader appointed Dausi into his cabinet to take over the mantle at the troubled information ministry to replace Reverend Malison Ndau who a couple of days ago hit the headlines for taking on leader of opposition, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera.
Thodi was among the first university graduates to be enlisted into the then Malawi Police Force (MPF) and he alongside the likes of (fellow first graduates) former Inspector Generals; Loti Dzonzi and Oliver Kumbambe, former Deputy Police Chief, Doreen Mwalwanda, Police Commissioners, George Kainja and Duncan Mwapasa among others were directly involved in reforming the Malawi Police Force into a people-centred service with the help from the British police.
Thodi started his journey as a security professional at Police Training School (PTS) as a ‘Police Recruit’ after finishing his studies at the University of Malawi’s constituent college, Chancellor College in Zomba.
After ‘passing out’ from PTS, young Thodi’s hard work, dedication to duty and determination coupled with his university education helped him climbing the ladder of the police’s rank and file and rose to the top and was appointed the commissioner of police.
Thodi served as director of research and development in the Malawi Police and was based at the National Police Headquarters at Area 30 in Lilongwe. He was the focal point of the Malawi Police Reform Program.
Later, Thodi was appointed as the Chief Immigration Officer before being relocated to Malawi Revenue Authority as the head of administration.
‘Sanity’
UK-based Malawian Law expert and political and social commentator, Mfundisi Sunduzwayo Madise in an interview with Nyasa Times said Thodi’s appointment as the new head of the country’s intelligence agency, if it is true, then sanity has returned to the national intelligence outfit for at last a right person has been chosen for the job which for long has been in the wrong ‘hands.’
“If this is indeed true then I applaud the president for this appointment. I personally know Elvis Thodi as I was with him as a student at Chancellor College and I have seen him growing as a police officer and later saw him serving as a chief immigration officer. He is, without doubt, the best candidate for the position because he is an expert in security matters,” said Madise.
Madise added that state intelligence is very critical to how the country is run, and by appointing a professional person to head the intelligence unit is way much better than just appointing people for the sake of it.
“As an expert in security matters, (Elvis) Thodi will be able to tell which information is vital to feed the president and which information is chaff and therefore needs to be chucked into the bin,” said Madise.
Added Madise: “For a long time, our leaders have been fed and misled with lies, half-truths and denigration as intelligence and this is very dangerous. It is good that finally someone qualified is appointed to do the job they know.”
In the recent past, the country’s Intelligence agency have been headed by people with no security and intelligence background but merely on political bootlicking.
Nicholas Dausi was appointed as the chief spy as an appeasement after he lost his parliamentary seat in the last elections and that meant that he could not be made a cabinet minister at that time as the ruling DPP needed numbers in the august house.
Dausi replaced another ‘political douche-bag,’ Binton Kutsaila, who was also appointed to the post as an appeasement for his blind loyalty, as a top state mole.
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Thodi maybe the right pick but i have worked very closely with him, he is a very corrupt person and a womanizer. Such personalities are not fit for such positions unless Malawi is a Hollywood movie.
I am a real tumbuka from Karonga. Not even ngoni from Mzimba. My take is that if Thodi is qualified let’s not politicise or tribalise matters. We will not progress.
Thodi was indeed in the first group of graduates recruited by late IG Lunguzi which included thodi, kumbambe, doreen mwalwanda, tumalisye ndovi among others….Dzonzi was not on this group, he was already a policeman teaching at police secondary school at that time alongside former DIG Edgar saiwa….Gustave Kaliwo was recruited on his own though….thodi is a good pick, better than the senseless Dausi appointment. Although Rodney Jose or Paul kanyama would be a better choices because they are former SIS officers, and Jose was trained as a trainer by the CIA….
kodi anthu a kumpoto mukufunamaudindo mutenge 50% ufiti chani? muliko ANGATI KUMPOTOKO KUTI MUZILIRALIRA NGATI ANA? MBUZI ZA ANTHU, Put your house inorder first then start complaining about nepotism, Goodall Gondwe has been a finance minister for almost 3 governments but what did he do as a northerner for you? yo#u are extremely tribalistic akanganya inu ndipo to be honest with you you ll always cry until Jesus comes if he will really indeed come, apo bi, muzingokanda machende choncho, no chance will be given to a northerner, trust me, you have been proven to be the most selfish tribes… Read more »
Just write in Chichewa. Your English is horrible and so is your argument. You are less informed and your line of thinking is nothing short of a savage. It will probably take you a lifetime to understand that it’s not about atumbuka or northerners but Malawi.
you are more than a fool yourself a good for nothing person.simunati tikanabwerabe kwanuko kuzakutengani muzikatilimila mu ma estate athu while ife tili phee mkalasi kuphunzira.unditumizire number yako ubwere ndi ana ako azalime ku estate kwanga.
This is no sense.what kind of President iz this? Just wasting money for nothing
Even Dr Hastings banda was appointing some people from kasungu in various critical position. Talk people like Mr ngwata from nkhamenya,,,,,inspector general of police,katola PHIRI regional minister for centre, Aron gadama regional minister centre,three reserve bank governors were succeedingly from centre I.e TEMBO,chaziya, chimango, so when you are a president,, you are not restricted to choose people who will help you to achieve your goal,,,,,,no matter where they come from.
asatana anthu ansanje…agalu if Thodi is a malawian no problem and if khumbo is a malawian no problem why zinthu zikachitika kufufu kumene munthu akuchokera……it is a sign that you are all jealousy full of sankho you cannot develop…..if someone is appointed just look at his education and performance……agulu inu nsanjezo simutukukatu AMAlaWI………Am anortherner wina ati nfwiiiiii andinva mukasambe lisilo lanu lansanjelo……ask yourselves how obama is big man in a country where his history is connected to slave trade….zopusabasi
Tonse Ndife aMalawi tiyeni tikondane ndikudzala chikondi pakati panthu..
Is that so? Quote my silence.
A thodiwa amachokeradi kwa chonde pafupi ndi chipatala cha chonde, WHICH IS NOT VERY FAR TO THE BIG BWANA’S HOME AREA