Divisions have emerged within the National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives in Malawi (Nonm) with paid-up members forming a task force to protest against the group’s leadership.
The task force, which is accusing Nonm leadership of incompetence, planned to shut down the organisation’s offices in Lilongwe on April 11 2025, a move that has now been blocked by the district council.
Nonm leadership has, however, laughed off the incompetence accusations on the basis that the task force comprises new cadres who are failing to understand the issues they are fighting for.
And in a twist, three of the task force’s leaders have been transferred from their duty stations to Lilongwe District Council with immediate effect, according to a redeployment memo which Nation on Sunday has seen.
Those that have been transferred include the task force’s chairperson Frank Kamwendo from Nsanje District, lead member Harison Tembo from Blantyre District Council and spokesperson Lucius Gerald from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital.
The three are all nursing officers on Grade HI/M6.
Documents we have seen show that the bone contention is the issue of allowances the nurses and midwives have been pushing government to adjust amid the prevailing economic challenges.
The nurses and midwives want their professional allowance to be increased to K30 000 per month.
Government only adjusted the allowances, ranging from K4 000 to K11 500, leaving a balance of K18 500 to K26 000 for lower and senior cadres.
They also want a top-up allowance of between K70 000 and K710 000 but government only approved K50 000 for lower cadres and K510 000 for senior officers.
This was aside a proposed risk allowance of K150 000 for lower cadres and K600 000 for senior officers, which was not approved.
But the task force’s leadership allege that Nonm top brass has failed to push the government to meet their demands; hence, opting to protest to show their displeasure.
In their letter to Lilongwe district commissioner (DC) Lawford Palani, they said their protests were not out of malice, but for a genuine cause.
Part of the letter reads: “We are writing to inform you that concerned nurses and midwives in Malawi, both from civil service and Christian Health Association of Malawi, who are paid-up members of Nonm, will hold a symbolic closing up of Nonm offices at its headquarters in Area 13, Lilongwe.
“The purpose of the sit-in is to, in solidarity; show our grievances over gross incompetence by our Nonm leadership. We expect a gathering of approximately 50 nurses and midwives and we have taken necessary precautionary measures to ensure that the protests remain peaceful and orderly.”
But in his response dated April 1, Palani declined to grant the task force permission for the protest on the basis that they would contravene the Police Act.
“Kindly note that we cannot sanction the closure of Nonm offices as it is against the dictates of the Police Act. We would not want to be part of an assembly with unlawful purpose.
“We would like to encourage you to continue your engagement with the Nonm leadership and relevant offices so that your issues should be resolved,” said the DC in his response.
The task force leaders declined to comment.
However, speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the task force members said it is not by coincidence that the task force leadership has been redeployed at a time they are fighting against Nonm leadership’s alleged incompetence.
But in an interview on Thursday, Nonm president Shouts Simeza described the leaders as disgruntled, citing Kamwendo and Gerald as individuals who have nothing to lose as they are pursuing other programmes to exit the nursing profession.
He said: “One is up for law, the other one is up for journalism.”
Simeza said Nonm has been having issues with the task force since January 2025 when they were petitioning the organisation.
He said the issues they raised at first were to do with promotions, recruitments, nullification of the 2024 Biennial General Assembly and lifting of an injunction that government obtained against Nonm and Physician Assistants Union of Malawi.
“As a way of handling these internal issues internally, the National Executive Council granted this group an audience on February 22 2025 at the secretariat. During this meeting, all these issues were flushed out and they seemed to have understood,” he said.
Simeza said Nonm was surprised when on March 10 2025 the task force filed an application with the High Court of Malawi in Zomba seeking nullification of Nonm’s Biennial General Assembly.
Court documents of Civil Cause Number 25 of 2025 filed on March 10 2025 we have seen shows that the task force wants the annulment on the basis that the assembly was not in accordance with Nonm’s constitution.
“While the court issue is yet to be resolved and concluded, the group proceeded to present a letter on their protests to the Lilongwe DC,” he said.
But Simeza denied influencing the transfer of the task force’s leaders.
Ministry of Health was also not available to comment on the transfers.
Nonm was established in 1979 as a nurses association, trade union and professional organisation. As of 2024, its membership was estimated at about 6 500 nurses and midwives.
One of the aims of the group was to safeguard the professional, organisational and socio-economic interests of nurses and midwives, apart from influencing the nursing profession in Malawi.
