A letter addressed to acting IG Duncan Mwapasa, has called for promotion of lower-ranking police officers who have upgraded their academic qualifications.
According to the letter, the lower ranking officials feel that the police system is only interested in recruiting officers who are already graduates, than to promote those who are upgrading while already in the system. The serving junior-ranking police graduates are very much concerned that the Malawi Police Service is not motivating them after graduating but rather demotivating them by failing to change their grades and conferring them with their deserved promotions,” reads the letter in part.
Last year, the Government announced the promotion of 3000 junior police officers in what the opposition parties said is an attempt to woo the officers into voting for the incumbent leader in the May 21 2019elections. The National Police spokesperson James Kadadezera said the promoted officers are mainly constables who have now risen to the position of sergeant. “These are normal promotions, they were promoted on merit because of their hard work. You can agree with me that the crime rate has now gone down, there is visibility of police officers everywhere,” said Kadadzera.
A year later, junior-ranking officials are demanding a promotion, quoting the Malawi Public Service Management Policy 2018 to 2022 which seeks to promote meritorious appointments, promotions and deployment of officers, having suitable and qualified persons in the promoted ranks. The letter is dated 14th May and has called for action on the demands therein or a lawsuit will follow after 5 days from the day the letter was sent to the acting IG.