JB stops female civil servants dancing at functions
No more waist jiggling, hip swinging and praise singing at presidential functions for female civil servants during week days, government has decreed.The ban has been delivered via a confidential Cabinet circular dated 9th May, 2012, signed by Chief Secretary to Government Bright Msaka.
Â
The memo, whose copy Nation Online has, reads in part: “Cabinet observes that the practice leads to high absenteeism and is done at the detriment of pupils and students who cannot attend lessons, thereby not completing their syllabi effectively.
“All women civil servants should only attend presidential public functions and other national events during public holidays or weekends. Women, like other civil servants, should dedicate their efforts to deliver in their official duties.”
According to sources within the public workforce, the memo has been sent to all government ministries and departments for action.
Civil society organisations, which have been vocal condemning the practice, have welcomed the decision.
“Simply put, we are very happy as civil society at the steps the new administration is taking to address some of the issues we raised,” said Benedicto Kondowe, executive director of the Civil Society Coalition for Quality Education and convenor of the Malawi Human Rights Defenders.
Kondowe said he hopes more such measures will follow. Asked if it would have been even better if government effected a complete ban on civil servants dancing at such functions, he said the topic needs debate.
“Dancing on weekends is okay, plus women do so on their own volition and to ban them would be a moral and human rights issue. We need to debate more on that,” he said.
Another civil society activist Emmie Chanika hailed President Joyce Banda for the decision.
“We never thought this day would come…we salute [President Banda] and I hope she will put her foot down on people who mis-advise presidents to corrupt the system and benefit from it,” said Chanika.
During the reign of the late Bingu wa Mutharika, female civil servants were a common sight at presidential functions where they joined party cadres in dancing for the president.
