President Banda trusts Dzonzi with Malawi Police Service leadership
Analysts said President Banda, who was sworn in yesterday to wide local and international support and applause, is seen as a genuine leader who will appoint people to public office on merit and not based on cronyism, regionalism and tribalism as was the case with the past regimes.
Moses Mkandawire, an activist and programme officer at the Church of Central African Presbytery’s Livingstonia Synod’s Church and Society Programme, said Banda should work towards a government that is all inclusive in nature.
Dzonzi, a professional and highly educated police officer and former secondary school teacher, takes over from Mukhito after his predecessor led the service through one of Malawi’s hardest times, when police were ordered to shoot and kills suspects, and protestors during the 19/20 July 2011 mass protests, killing 19 people in the process.
Mukhito has been seen as probably the worst IG, whose interests were bent at pleasing a few in the ruling clique and not national interests.
This is a start of a cleaning process as many ministers and government officials, believed to be Mutharika’s home cronies and former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will be shown the door.
Social media Facebook posts indicate people listing such names, some of whom have amassed untold wealth during the short period of Mutharika’s leadership.