VP Chilima talks tough on mindset change at IPMM Indaba

Malawians must change their mindset, transfom and accept that the time to reform the country is now or never, Vice President Saulos Chilima has said.

Chilima interacting with IPMM officials
Chilima interacting with IPMM officials

Chilima was speaking in Mangochi during an annual conference by the Institute of People Management Malawi (IPMM) in Mangochi on Friday.

IPMM, which has publicly endorsed support for the reforms agenda by the Mutharika administration, convened the meeting under the theme “HR Transformation and Innovation: The Key to Increasing Productivity at Work.

Chilima said the theme was more befitting and comes at an opportune time when the DPP government is appealing championing the  business unusual way of doing things for Malawi to develop.

“Business unusual approach means changing the mindset of workers from being mere followers in the workplace to becoming doers and innovative employees so that they help to grow their respective organizations,” Chilima told the HR managers.

The VP said he was very much aware of that people’s mindset was crucial in the implementation of the reforms.

“From the perspective of the public service reforms which I chair, we are fully aware that people are the lifeblood of any organization and that they are the agents of reform and renewal in public administration,” he said.

He said the HR managers have a crucial in championing change in the work places.

The charged up veep conceeded that change is difficult and painful but said as patriotic citizens there is need to die a little if we are to pass a better country to the next generation.

Making a power point presentation, the first Malawi VP to be doing this, Chilima played a clip of how an eagle endures transformation when faced with two options of death or survival.

The vedio clip showed how the eagle chooses to live another 30 years when old age catches up by going through a painful way of plucking off its beak, talons and feathers and wait for new ones to grow to start life afresh.

“This applies to us as Malawians. Let’s make tough and painful  decisions today if we are to develop. Things that we have done for the past 51 years haven’t changed us or heleped us so let’s join hands for once and reform for the better,” said  Chilima.

Sharing progress of the reforms, Chilima said it was encouraging that more and more people are embracing the reforms and that progress is being seen.

He likened the reforms to a train that has left the station and none will stop it except dropping those who don’t want to continue  and picking new willing passengers.

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Concerned health provider
Concerned health provider
8 years ago

A significant obstacle to improving civil service and the country wide work ethic in Malawi is the punitive way in which employers are treated when trying to discipline or fire nonperforming employees. Generally these employees have an easy time extorting large sums of money from their employers through Labor Board suits, even if they confess themselves guilty of such things as abuse of position, theft, gross negligence, etc. As a result, almost no one is ever fired, just shifted around endlessly to the detriment of the organization and Malawi.

Patrick Phiri
Patrick Phiri
8 years ago

Chilima is talking sense. Business as usual has failed. Caution; your government has to embrace all Malawians for the changes to take place. It has to do the walking the talk so that everyone can follow.

Tengupenya
Tengupenya
8 years ago

Interesting if high places will start walking the talk. Cut convoys. Retire excess executives in government service. Right size the civic service executive. No sacred cows connected to cash gate, sweep clean according to available evidence. Let the wheels of justice move without undue interference from politicians. To clean up Malawi is to sort out the malaise about concluding cases involving citizens connected to fellow country men in high places. It is about sharing the burden of hard choices and hardship. It is about cleaning up government and financial governance. It is about an accountable financial market. Banks are now… Read more »

peeping lizard
peeping lizard
8 years ago

ACHILIMA KHALANI PANSI MUZIPANGA MAPLAN ATERM YANU IKATHA.FUNSANI AMALEWEZI,OR ACHILUPHA? INU SIANDALE AI!PABWERA WINA AKUDUTSANI .MPAKANA NTCHITO YANU MUNAISIYA IJA MUZAIFUNA.TIKUMAKUBVANI MASPEACH ANU.KKKKKKKK,MUZIONA MWAKULA MWATHA

Petera
Petera
8 years ago

Start changing civil servants’ mindset by punishing or dismissing those who are not trying to change. Coming to work very late, knocking off very early, every activity they do they need allowance, corruption. Why can’t u start biting indeed. Change will starting coming when such is started. Secondly, government procedures last long to b implemented. Start by chopping those who block swift procedures and lay off old timers otherwise this is not their time they must go now now. Chief secretary is the first to go coz he is long overdue to retire. Start implementing osamangolankhula, ikumva Chilima iwee?

Chisalima
Chisalima
8 years ago

MR VP enough of the talks, we need action. tapota nanu mkulankhula Mwe

Chipti mhangoh
8 years ago

Vuto lake a chilima mungonena za reforms koma on the ground palibe cha nzeru chikuchitika, take it for me zaka five zikamatha kupezeka kut palibe chimene chachitika, runing a gvt z a serious bzness u cant compare it with running a company, ndiye mukamati ma reform aaaaaa mr veep it wont succeed coz u’ll b shot down by ur own dpp, mind u many in dpp dont consider u as wa dpp weniweni tiyeni nazo as go towards 2019 muzasova bambo, jb anaziona kumeneko mlomwe ndi munthu oipa u’ll agree this in the near future

Sapitwq
Sapitwq
8 years ago

If ever you have worked in organizations all your life, transformation synonymous with re-engineering should not be a buzz word. It is a process,a life blood for an organization to cope with the costly changing economic environments.The agents that drive these transformations are always called all sorts of names: woyipa, woyipisitsa, wonyasa nkhope ndi mtima womwe etc. These agents have to drive change to the bitterness of what change would eventually bring to those who oppose it: voluntary severance packages, forced retirements to those who have passed age, disciplinary processes to those who sabotage change through deliberate absenteeism etc and… Read more »

Gwamba
8 years ago

I Think This Change Of Mindset Should Start From Your Party,otherwise You Are Just Loosing Your Energy.You Seem Getting Assimilated To Dpp Style. Yes! For Your Own Security You Are. May Be You First Teach This So Called Transiformation In Your House(dpp). Not, “Do What I Say Not What I Do”.

MSANA WA PETURO
MSANA WA PETURO
8 years ago

So stupid and rubbish to hear. Your president and DPP must transform first. You don’t walk the talk. Nonsense!!!

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