By Pemphero Malimba:
Recent police promotions have sparked criticism and suspicion from various quarters, including civil society organisations, over their timing and intent, coming just a month before the country heads to the September 16 general elections.
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa described the promotions as questionable, citing concerns about the conduct and professionalism of police officers in recent months.
“These promotions raise a lot of questions; whether they have been done in good faith or if there are hidden motives.
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“We are worried because we know the Malawi Police Service has not acted professionally in handling issues of violence. During anti-government demonstrations, for instance, people were harassed in full view of police officers. That raises serious concerns about professionalism in the service,” Kaiyatsa said.
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He stressed the need for an independent and impartial police service.
“It should not be a police service aligned to a particular political party. It should be a police service that serves all Malawians,” Kaiyatsa added.
Security expert Aubrey Kabisala also cautioned against the potential negative effects of mass promotions.
According to Kabisala, while promotions can be encouraging, they often result in demotivation among those not promoted.
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“In the past, similar promotions have caused frustration and had minimal net effect. Malawians expect optimum, quality service from public institutions, regardless of whether promotions have taken place or not,” he said.
The criticism follows the confirmation by National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya that the Police Service Commission has promoted 345 officers to their next ranks.
Kalaya said the promoted officers include 278 junior officers and 67 senior officers, and that the move was aimed at filling vacancies within the service.
“The officers will occupy the positions whose vacancies were there in their respective ranks. It is a happy day for us,” Kalaya said, insisting that the promotions were merit-based and necessary for operational effectiveness.
He maintained that the move had nothing to do with the upcoming elections.
“We are an independent institution. These promotions were based on existing vacancies and have no link to the elections. The process was done in good faith,” Kalaya said.
He also expressed hope that the promotions would boost morale and motivate others to work harder.
“We hope the promotions will not only motivate those promoted but also encourage those who were not to aim higher in their work,” Kalaya added.
The recent batch comes shortly after over 3,000 officers were promoted in a previous exercise, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the current decisions.
The concerns over the promotions are not new.
In 2019, the MPS promoted over 7,000 junior officers just weeks before the elections.
That move was also heavily scrutinised, with opposition parties alleging political motives behind the mass promotions.
While the police then defended the decision as an administrative exercise, critics argued it could compromise the neutrality and independence of the service.
Malawi currently has over 19,000 police officers stationed across the country.
