Interview: Malawi police works under heavy strain—Lot Dzonzi

In this interview with our contributor Roy Hauya, former inspector general of police Lot Dzonzi talks about how police can work together with citizens for a safe and secure Malawi.

Q: Who is Lot Dzonzi?

A: I was born on 14th January 1959 in Bulawayo Zimbabwe to Malawian parents. My father was a typical mtchona who worked with Rhodesia Railways. I started school in 1966 in Bulawayo but moved to Malawi in December of 1972 to live with my aunt at Likuni Farm Institute (now Natural Resources College) and attended primary school at Likuni Boys.

Quite early in primary school, I learnt my first life lesson that falling down is not failure, rather failure is remaining on the ground. Those who fall and pick themselves up go on to complete the race. Further, I learnt that making a mistake is not a mistake; the mistake is not learning from that mistake.

I was one of 90 learners that entered Robert Blake Secondary School in October 1976 and was among 33 students selected to Chancellor College, University of Malawi in 1980 where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History in 1984. At Robert Blake, the foundations of my Christian faith were established and at Chancellor College it was solidified. I now have a Master’s degree in Business Administration, which I obtained in 2005.

Q: What would you say was the state of the police service when you became IG?

A: The Malawi Police Service has been undergoing reforms for the past 20 years. It is an organisation in transformation. In a democracy, policing has many challenges. It demands that police service has sufficient resources; sufficient numbers of highly trained police officers; more scientific support to investigations; increased public access to services; and the ability to penetrate the remotest parts of Malawi, among others.

Two things were supportive to my work. First is the dedication and commitment of the majority of officers. The officers work under heavy strain and make personal sacrifices but receive little appreciation. Second is public goodwill and support. You will never know how much Malawians are doing to support the police, giving information, finances, fuel and even donating vehicles.

It is no secret that the MPS is greatly under-resourced up to this very moment. Resource constraints are the biggest obstacle to the performance of the police service. Malawi has some of the best police officers you can find anywhere in the world, but without resources not much can happen. Resourcing MPS needs to be given priority. Just to illustrate, there were more police vehicles outside the Pretoria Court where Pistorius was being tried than you have in the whole of Lilongwe City. It is a major handicap. Believe me, it does not matter how brilliant and hardworking you are, without resources you are at zero capacity.

Q: What do you see as the major causes of insecurity in the country and what is your assessment of the quality of the police response?

A: I took over at a time when the campaign mood for the 2014 elections had already set in. You will agree with me that from the word go in April 2012, it was all campaign hype. After the elections, people had unrealistic expectations for how quickly the police would solve the security problems. Meanwhile, nobody is tackling the underlining socio-economic factors of insecurity. Policing merely prunes the tree of crime but it does not uproot it, so it will keep shooting back. I acknowledge the occurrence of violent crimes particularly in the cities and they are a justifiable cause for public concern.

Malawi has to address the following causes of crime: the ever increasing rural-urban migration that has led to urban slums; the growing population of unemployed functionally literate youths; the poorly lit built environment. By the way do you know that Malawi’s cities are the darkest in Africa? We should also discuss the effects of globalisation as today’s criminals know no borders. Poverty remains a great challenge. We should admit that society is losing the glue that held it together. Everything is becoming relative. Malawians need to understand democracy and re-discover lost uMunthu. It is only then that crime will be solved. Policing alone cannot.

MPS has done the best it could in hard circumstances. Of course, at times they have been clumsy particularly in attitudes, customer care and fronting the shortage of resources as an excuse. In the meantime though, the service is trying very hard.

Q: One of your many strong points is your humility. How do you manage a calm demeanor even in times of extreme challenge?

A: One of my best friends is law professor Garton Kamchedzera of Chancellor College. When we were students, he wrote a play titled When the Rains Come which was broadcast on BBC. The moral of the story was that in times of drought, the sun is scorching hot, the ground is cracking dry and the brains are practically boiling. It is no time to make serious decisions. One has to wait until the rains come, the land is wet and the brains are cool before one can make a decision. Wait until you gain a proper perspective to things and the conditions are right. It does not matter how dark the clouds are; the sun is always shining on the other side. Smile, God is still on the throne. Often Thyolani once told me it does not matter how tense things are, the sun will still set at exactly the same time it is meant to. So don’t panic, things will be alright.

Q: As you move on to serve as Deputy Ambassador at the UN, what is your advice on security to the police service, the new leadership and citizens of Malawi?

A: Be patriotic. Love Malawi and serve it with commitment and dedication. A country that has no patriots is a doomed country. Police work is more than a profession. It is a call to the service to humanity and one’s country. Therefore, be professional. At all costs avoid involvement in partisan politics; leave politics to politicians. Avoid corruption and criminality. Your service and life are precious, so always remember there is HIV out there.

To conclude, it is time we rediscovered the Warm Heart of Africa. We should not lose uMunthu. The Ngoni say ‘Umuntu ugabanthu ugumuntu’ and the Chewa will say ‘Kalikokha mkanyama tiri tiwiri ntianthu’. Continue to support the MPS to create a safe and secure Malawi.