Loti Dzonzi, new Inspector General

Newly-appointed Inspector General (IG) of Police Loti Thauzeni Pansipadana Dzonzi is an experienced police officer who has served in the Malawi Police Service for 25 years, rising through the ranks to his new appointment by President Madame Joyce Banda last Sunday, replacing Peter Mukhito.

Dzonzi was born on January 14 1959 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, in a family of 11 children; six boys and five girls.
The IG, who comes from Chithonje Village, Traditional Authority Malenga in Ntchisi, is married with two children.

Education

Dzonzi went to  Mahlalezahi Primary School in Thashasalala Township of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe in 1966. In 1973, his family moved to Malawi and he did Primary School Leaving Certificate at  Likuni Boys Primary School and was selected to Robert Blake formally called Kongwe in Dowa in 1976.

In September 1980, he was selected into the Bachelor of Arts (Humanities) programme at the University of Malawi, Chancellor College. He majored in English and history and his minor subjects were sociology and geography.

In 1984, he earned a Certificate in Evangelism and Discipleship at Great Commission Training Centre–JOS, Plateau State in Nigeria.

He has a Master’s degree in Business Administration obtained from the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute (Esami)/ Maasthrict School of Business in January 2005.

Police work

He joined the Malawi Police Service in 1987 and in 1992 was a teacher, boarding master and deputy head teacher at Police Secondary School in Zomba.

Between July 1992 and January 1994, he worked as station officer at Ndirande Police Station in Blantyre.

From January to November 1994, he was Second in-Charge Force Security Liaison Office (SIS desk officer).

He became head of Research and Planning Unit in Malawi Police Service in 1994 up to 1996 when he was promoted to head of Human Resource Management and Development in Malawi Police Service in 1997 to 1998.

Between 1999 and 2000, he was head of organisational development, a task force responsible for the coordination of the Police Reform Programme.

In 2001, he rose to become deputy commissioner of police (Headquarters Administration). In February 2002, he became Deputy Regional Commissioner of Police for Central Region mainly responsible for the financial and resource management of the region up to 2004.
He then became Commandant at Police College in Zomba from February to August 2004.

In September to October 2004, he was made Regional Commissioner of Police for the Eastern Region overseeing Police operations in Balaka, Machinga, Mangochi and Zomba districts.

In November 2004 to March 2009, he became commissioner of police for research and planning before being promoted to commissioner of police responsible for Headquarters Administration in March 2009 until his appointment.

 

Professional courses

He did a Police Officer Cadet Course at Police College in Zomba in 1991 and in 1994, he attended the Technical and Photo Intelligence Collection, Collation Analysis Course at BND Munich in Germany.

In the same year, he did Strategic Management and Intelligence Course at National Intelligence Academy, Pretoria, South Africa and in 1997, he did Commonwealth Human Rights Training for Police Officers at Cape Town in South Africa. In 1998, he did a Southern Africa Regional Police Chiefs Corporation Organisation (SARPCCO) Human Rights Training for Police Officers in Kariba–Zimbabwe.

In 1999, he did another Human Rights Course for Police Officers at the Danish Centre for Human Rights, Copenhagen in Denmark and in 2001, he did a National Development Course FSU Gang Military College, Taipei, Republic of China.

In 2004, he did Performance Management Course and Job Description Writing Course at the Malawi Institute of Management.

Plans

To make the Malawi Police Service a well-coordinated team with skilled and well-trained officers deployed to their right sections. Apart from this, the newly appointed Inspector General says he wants to level the hostility that exists between the public and the Malawi Police Service through the engagement of key stakeholders in harmonising each part’s role in the management of peace in the country.