President Lazarus Chakwera on Thursday expressed “anguish” at the lack of progress in clearing the rubble from the government’s system.
Chakwera said “clearing the rubble is something that is not only a functional necessity, but also a matter of national urgency”.
He said incompetence and negligence are a cancer in the public service.
Chakwera therefore warned controlling officers who tolerate mediocrity that they will be fired.
“If any ministry, Department or Agency that has this kind of rubble of criminal elements does not produce a corrective action plan by the end of this month, I will have no choice but to remove those in charge and find people who will get the job done,” said Chakwera in his address to the nation.
The Ministry of Education in conjunction with the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) announced on Wednesday, cancellation of the 2020 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examination following leakage of papers.
Chakwera described leakage as “unacceptable” and “negligence” that cannot be allowed to continue.
“To have several secondary school exam papers leaked and the education of thousands of students thrown off course is simply unacceptable,” he said.
Chakwera has given the Ministry of Education one-week time frame to conduct investigations, discipline and remove those behind the leakage.
He has also given the Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) one month to remove its top management.
Chakwera has also directed MANEB to administer the MSCE examination by the end of January 2021 not March 9 2021 as earlier announced by the Minister of Education Agness NyaLonje.
“Students cannot wait for five months for the examination to be administered,” he said.
Chakwera has also directed National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) Board Chairperson Zangazanga Chikhosi to take action on the appointment of Hellen Buluma, a staunch Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member as acting Chief Executive Officer of the state-owned company.
NOCMA board of directors appointed Buluma following the suspension of Chief Executive Officer Gift Dulla who has been implicated into reports of financial and procurement mismanagement.
