Cdedi presses on Chakwera to fire Zikhale

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) has written President Lazarus Chakwera to fire Homeland Security Minister Ken Zikhale-Ng’oma.

This comes a week after the organisation issued a statement imploring the President to sack the minister for failing to check the country’s increasing insecurity that has seen several citizens being brutally murdered.

In the letter, Cdedi says while Chakwera has the prerogative to hire and fire Cabinet members, he needs to be reminded about Section 12 of the Constitution, which states that such prerogative should be meant to serve interests of Malawians.

“As we are writing, Your Excellency, there are growing disturbing incidences of insecurity in the country. In short, Malawi is turning into a crime-scene, and no one is safe,” reads in part the letter signed by Cdedi executive director Sylvester Namiwa.

He observes that the social and mainstream media is flooded with heartbreaking pictures and video clips of dead bodies and disturbing robbery scenes.

Reads the letter: “It appears Malawians have reached a consensus that it is only fair for Your Excellency, Sir, to rise above party politics and dismiss your Homeland Security minister and, also, tell the nation about government’s plan over this life-threatening moment in our nation.”

Cdedi has also pleaded with President Chakwera that should he consider maintaining Zikhale-Ng’oma in, then the best would be to move him to another ministry.

“It does not need emphasis that no serious investor can think of investing in a society where there is total security breakdown and its leadership is paying a blind eye to the same,” says Cdedi.

Further, the organisation has implored the President to declare the country a State of hunger so that the international community can support government to feed the 4.4 million Malawians facing acute food shortage as per the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee report.

Presidential press secretary Anthony Kasunda yesterday declined to comment on the letter.

During September and October this year, the country has recorded several murder incidents with about seven occurring in Lilongwe City.