PSs reshuffled, new Accountant General hired
The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has appointed Patrick Matanda as new Accountant General replacing Thomas Makiwa who has been posted to OPC as principal secretary (PS) responsible for finance.
Matanda’s appointment has come alongside other shake-ups of PSs in the civil service after the administration of President Peter Mutharika reduced the size of Cabinet to 20 as one way of reducing public expenditure and improving professionalism.
The Civil Service Reform Commission headed by Vice-President Saulos Chilima has been tasked with realigning the roles of PSs, but it is not clear if the new movements are the work of the commission whose members include business mogul Thom Mpinganjira and former career civil servant Bright Mangulama.
One of the shifted PSs is Ben Botolo who was PS2 at the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development before it was combined with the Ministry of Finance. He has since been posted to the combined Ministry of Natural Resources, Mining and Energy as PS for energy and mining.
Botolo confirmed his appointment in an interview yesterday, saying he had previously been posted to the new ministry as PS for energy, so it would not be a challenge.
However, the fate of PS for mining Leonard Kalindekafe remains unknown as Botolo has taken up the position.
Patrick Kabambe, who was a PS in the Ministry of Education, but has previously served on several occasions as PS for Foreign Affairs, has been appointed PS for labour in the Ministry of Labour.
Former PS at Information and Civic Education Lucky Sikwese has been posted to the Office of the Vice-President as PS to the VP not long after his position was filled by former Malawi Broadcasting Station deputy director general Chimwemwe Banda.
Sikwese replaces Paul Chiunguzeni who becomes commissioner and PS for disaster management affairs.
Former deputy high commissioner to Tanzania and one-time deputy inspector general of Police Often Thyolani is expected to be right at home as PS for internal security in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
He joins Ben Chisamile who is PS for home affairs and Francis Chinsinga as PS for National Registration Bureau which was moved from OPC recently as part of civil service restructuring process.
While the appointments could not be officially confirmed through OPC, a source close to the process confirmed that most of the PSs had been informed about the new posting including those who have been reassigned from full PS to PS2 following the reduction of the Cabinet size.
Those reassigned include Elsie Tembo as PS for tourism and culture under the ministry now called Ministry of Information, Tourism, Culture and Civic Education, Justin Saidi who becomes full PS from PS2 and David Kandoje becomes PS for finance and administration in the Ministry of Health.
