Shake-up at Malawi State house
Malawi President Peter Mutharika’s aide-de-camp (ADC) Lieutenant Colonel Fostino Gunda-Phiri was on Monday removed from his position, joining a growing list of the President’s aides to leave State House.
While confirming Gunda-Phiri’s removal, State House chief of staff Peter Mukhito referred the matter to the former ADC’s employers, the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) who confirmed the development.
“I can confirm that Lieutenant Colonel Phiri is no longer with State House. He has been recalled to MDF to carry out other duties,” said MDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Francis Kakhuta-Banda.
However, Kakhuta-Banda could not give the reasons for Gunda-Phiri’s removal from State House, only saying the Army Commander saw it necessary to recall and assign him to other duties.
Prior to Gunda-Phiri’s removal, six of Mutharika’s aides hired following his victory in the May 20 Tripartite Elections have left State House and been assigned to other departments.
Mukhito confirmed that presidential press secretary Frederick Ndala, presidential secretary Hilda Chapola, personal assistant to the First Lady, Philomena Kasambwe, deputy guard commander a Mr. Chikhungu and second deputy guard commander a Mr. Kabambe are out of State House.
The President’s guard commander Duncan Mwapasa is also out of State House after being appointed as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Malawi Police Service.
Commenting on the rate at which presidential aides are being removed his aides in less than a year, Happy Kayuni, associate professor of political and administrative studies at Chancellor College—a constituent college of the University of Malawi—questioned the appointment criteria at State House.
He said: “To [remove] such a number of people in less than a year puts question marks on those assigned to appoint them. High turnover at any organisation should be taken seriously and I don’t think all these firings had to do with incompetence.”
On the other hand, Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) executive director Rafiq Hajat suggested that those that were fired might not have satisfied the employer’s expectation.
He pointed out that State House appointments are normally political and that those who do not toe the political lines have slim chances of surviving.
“But again, it puts into question the job security at State House which could result into low morale as employees will fear who will be next to be fired,” said Hajat.
Political and social commentator Mustafa Hussein, also from Chancellor College, believes that the President wants to re-strategise by putting right people into right positions after working with those he removed for sometime.
On 20th
May 2014, Malawians chose Arthur Peter Mutharika as President. They did not
choose Ben Phiri or Chisale or Peter’s wife. But they chose Peter basi. They believed
he was responsible enough to hold the office of the Presidency. Meaning no one;
not even a person whom he hang out with for 10 years through thick and thin
should hold the Presidency to ransom. 16 Million Malawians a CALL PETER: THE
PRESIDENT. He is the President of 16 Million Malawians not Ben Phiri not
Chisale. In fact if something happened to these people it will only be news on
Nyasa Times and maybe Nation or Daily Times. BUT THE COUNTRY WILL GO ON AS NORMAL.
A Head of
State deserves Security and should be surrounded by PROFESSIONAL SECURITY
DETAIL controlled by the army Commander and the Inspector General of Police. A small
boy like Ben Phiri who has a certificate in theology who cannot write a
paragraph of policy paper should not have the business to hold a Head of State
to ransom. The President should not be so insecure that the only times he feels
big is when he is with a nobody like Ben Phiri. Nobody gives a toss about that
boy. If the President freezes him out he will be forgotten in 2 minutes and
life in Malawi will go on. Mr. President don’t make this boy make you choose between
him and 16 Million Malawians. It’s a non-starter. Get rid of him; don’t feel
you owe him something; you don’t. You owe 16 Million Malawians a good Presidency
that’s not clouded by an insecure zealot like Ben Phiri. You have our support.