63 police officers sue govt over promotion
About 63 police officers have sued the Malawi Police Service through the Attorney General (AG) over delays to promote them after successfully completing their self-upgrading studies.
In a sworn statement in support of the application to have the matter decided on a point of law, Yohane Lubaini and 62 others argue that they upgraded themselves to achieve the MPS’ goals for effective policing after getting an approval to pursue higher education for quality delivery of service.
The claimants also argue that after graduating between 2018 and 2021, they were expecting to be promoted or having their grades changed to match with their academic qualifications, which did not happen.
They further claim that they presented their grievances to former Inspector General (IG) of Police George Kainja in the presence of director of Human Resources M a n a g eme n t a n d Development and the Service Administration Officer in 2020 where the IG promised to consider them.
Reads the sworn statement in part: “Since the promise was from the Inspector General, we had a legitimate expectation that our grades will be changed to match with our qualifications but nothing so far has been done.
“Our main claim is to have our grades changed to Grade G to match with our qualifications which ideally is promotion based on qualifications. This idea brings us to the issue of personal to holder which the defendant is basing its defence.”
The claimants also argue that they have witnessed other self-upgrading officers in the service being promoted to grades K, I and H without problems after presenting their diplomas and general degrees.
The court has since set December 8 2022 to hear the matter which will be before High Court Judge Yakuwawa Msiska.
The 63 police officers’ decision comes barely eight months after High Court of Malawi Judge Kenyatta Nyirenda ordered the service to promote 53 graduate police officers, who dragged the IG and AG to court over salary and promotion disparities based on a 2017 functional review.
The judge gave police 30 days to, among others, change the officers’ grades and also pay them arrears, which is the difference between new and old salaries from July 2017.
I n his 10 – page judgement, Nyirenda faulted the police for not considering the 53 graduates and ordered the police to promote the aggrieved from Grade I and H to grades G and F, respectively, within 30 days from February 8 2022.
In addition, the court also ordered that claimants be paid salary arrears from July 1 2017.
National Polic e spokesperson Peter Kalaya and AG Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda were not available for immediate comment.
