By Wezzie Gausi:
The Malawi Police Service (MPS) has promoted 256 officers across the country.
In an internal communication, Deputy Director of Human Resources Management Gift Chiundira indicates that the officers have been promoted on merit.
The promoted officers started serving in their new ranks on December 12 2021.
“The new promotions include two commissioners, five deputy commissioners, 10 Assistant Commissioners, 27 Senior Superintendents, 22 Superintendents, 91 Assistant Superintendents and 99 Inspectors,” the internal communication reads
This is the first promotion galore in the police service under the Tonse Alliance-led administration after, in 2019, the erstwhile governing Democratic Progressive Party-led administration promoted 3,000 junior police officers.
MPS spokesperson James Kadadzera said among those promoted are constables who have risen to the position of sergeant.
When the law enforcers celebrated 100 years of its existence, President Lazarus Chakwera said the institution needed to embrace reforms to reclaim public confidence.
According to Round Seven of the Afro Barometer Survey published in 2017, only 53 percent of Malawians trust MPS agents.
Chakwera called for capacity-building of the police, including instilling discipline in officers, giving them modern equipment, promoting them and training them.
He then ordered Homeland Security Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda to seek views from the police’s rank and file on what needed to be done for the agency to deliver quality services to people.