By Mercy Matonga:
President Lazarus Chakwera has directed the government top brass to identify civil servants that want to upgrade their education with government’s assistance.
Chakwera made the directive to Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba during the official inauguration of the Malawi School of Government (MSG) in Lilongwe Wednesday.
He said the Office of the President and Cabinet should collaborate with heads of government departments and parastatals to identify beneficiaries, both in the mainstream civil service and State-owned enterprises.
Mainstream civil service workers are called civil servants while those that work for State-owned enterprises are known as public servants.
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Formerly known as the Malawi Institute of Management (MIM), MSG was created in 2022 through the merger of MIM and Mpemba Staff Development Institute (SDI).
Chakwera said when his administration was getting into office, there were no proper arrangements in the civil service for education advancement.
“I observed numerous challenges within the civil service. That is why my government established this institution to provide guidance and mentorship to civil servants.
“Now that the Malawi School of Government is established after a lengthy process, I direct the Secretary to the President and Cabinet to collaborate with principal secretaries, parastatal leaders, district commissioners and the Department of Human Resource and Development to identify public servants who must undergo specific courses here. Public Sector Reform begins with reforming the public servants themselves and this endeavour must commence at the Malawi School of Government,” Chakwera said.
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Reacting to the directive, Zamba told The Daily Times that her office would ensure timely implementation of the directive.
She said her office would also ensure that certain courses become mandatory for all civil servants to participate in the programme.
“We will ensure that every civil servant undergoes these courses and we are going to make sure that funds for training have been allocated in the budget,” Zamba said.
Speaking at the event, MSG Director General, Professor Asiyati Lorraine Chiweza, said the institution is committed to achieving its five-year plan, which includes full integration, rebranding and financial sustainability of the school.
“We aim to enhance the capacities of both the public and private sectors to improve public service delivery,” Chiweza said.
She further disclosed that MSG inherited pension arrears totalling over K960 million but that it has succeeded to disburse over K700 million to 21 former employees since its establishment.
MSG Council Chairperson, Professor Lewis Dzimbiri, expressed gratitude to the President for making the directive and said the institution has capacity to train public officers.
“We possess the necessary capacity because we engage retired individuals and, when needed, outsource expertise from the private sector to ensure that we are offering comprehensive training,” Dzimbiri stated.
MIM was established in 1989 as a hub of government training, delivering leadership and management training, consultancy and research services.
In 2022, MIM and SDI merged, culminating in rebranding to MSG Blantyre and Lilongwe campuses.
State Vice President Saulos Chilima attended the event.
