Senior govt officers get paid for ‘idling’

 In the heart of the capital Lilongwe, adjacent to the Civic Offices in the City Centre, there is an office building unofficially dubbed ‘Guantanamo’.

It is home to some of the most senior government officials cast out to ‘rot’ mostly after a change in political administration and, to an extent, for genuine disciplinary reasons.

The office draws its name from the United States (US) military prison within Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Notorious for detaining terrorists and the most hardened criminals posing serious national security threats, Guantanamo was established in January 2002 by US president George W. Bush at the height of the Global War on Terrorism following the attacks of September 11 2001.

But the ‘Guantanamo’ in Lilongwe holds neither terrorism suspects nor foreign power enemy combatants other than being a dumping ground for principal secretaries (PSs) and other high-ranking public officials perceived as politically-misaligned with the new masters every time there is a change of government. Such officials are usually assigned to ‘Special Duties’.

A PS is a senior government official whose duties, among others, include providing strategic advice to the President and Cabinet, overseeing the administration of ministries, and ensuring implementation of government policies. They are top strategic professionals who, when in favour, occupy posh offices and drive the best official government vehicles.

But when they are pushed to ‘Guantanamo’, they are shrivelled shadows of their former selves. The furnishing of the offices at ‘Guantanamo’ is a far cry from that of active PSs, offering only a Spartan desk, a chair and two visitors’ seats.

The office lacks support staff such as a secretary and basic amenities, including a private toilet, curtains, and a fridge usually present in a functioning PS’s office.

Here, well-educated and experienced public servants head ‘departments’ and ‘units’ in which they are the only employees—leaders with no one to lead into doing anything for the public.

It has been a decades-long wasteful practice—from the administrations of Bakili Muluzi, Bingu wa Mutharika, Joyce Banda, Peter Mutharika and now Lazarus Chakwera: of technocratic executives getting paid for just rotting away.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, two PSs who have been housed here since 2020 when the Tonse Alliance Administration went into government, shared a glimpse into their daily duties and work environment.

“I just stay in the office doing nothing, but mostly I am at home, attending to my businesses, or out on my farm. On a good day, you are lucky to be given a newspaper,” he said.

According to the PS, the only time they feel acknowledged is when human resource officers

 bring their payslips and usually they also provide newspapers.

Another PS, who also joined ‘Guantanamo’ at the same time, said in a separate interview that even when government calls for meetings of PSs or training at the Malawi Institute of Management (MIM)—now Malawi School of Government—Lilongwe campus, the group at ‘Guantanamo’ is excluded with no explanation.

“They don’t recognise us; to them, we don’t exist. Those on contracts just wait until the expiry of their contracts, but for those of us who are employed on a permanent basis, there is nothing we can do. We just stay, but no one can take away our benefits,” he said.

“For some of us, we are career civil servants with extensive experience. I have headed numerous government projects. So being here is very demotivating, and sometimes I wish I could just call it quits,” another PS said.

As of June this year, government had 21 ministries and 63 PSs, almost three PSs each ministry.

The 63 PSs include 56 managing ministries and departments and those dumped at ‘Guantanamo’ or based at the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) where they are doing nothing, but drawing salaries and commensurate perks allocated to a PS.

Currently, there are four PSs and three directors at ‘Guantanamo’, along with four more senior officials, including deputy directors, who were not given offices and operate from home, according to our sources.

“We are paid for not doing anything, but it is not our fault,” explained another PS who joined the civil service in 2001.

He added: “It can happen to anyone, and in the near future, if there is a change of government, others will also find themselves here. It is a vicious cycle.”

The revised salaries for employees in the civil service as announced in January this year show that a PS at Grade C pockets K25.8 million per year. This translates to K2.15 million per month.

Going by the January circular, it means government will have spent over K1.6 billion on the 63 PSs in one year in salaries alone, according to our sister newspaper Nation on Sunday.

Apart from the salary, each PS is also entitled to a monthly fuel allocation which until recently was 500 litres. Government also provides each PS with K50 000 airtime and a TX Prado vehicle.

Other benefits include a VVIP medical scheme.

OPC spokesperson Robert Kalindiza asked for more time to comment on the matter, but economist Gilbert Kachamba described the situation as a waste of resources as government is spending a lot on unproductive staff.

“This is labour force that can be released and be productive elsewhere. Secondly, it creates room for corruption as it encourages political patronage for those who are in the service now as they will be making decisions with fear of being sent to ‘Guantanamo’. Government should find ways of releasing these people and pay them off.’’

Labour law expert Mauya Msuku described the practice as an infringement of good labour practices and amounts to contractual dismissal.

‘‘There have been several cases and rulings, both from private and public sectors which I have personally handled. The courts have consistently ruled in favour of the aggrieved parties.

‘‘Employment is not just about receiving a salary, but also about career development.

“When an employee is moved from their area of expertise and placed elsewhere, they will not stay up-to-date with developments in their field, thereby denying them growth.”

Msuku said this is crucial for career development and is contrary to Section 60 of the Employment Act.

Msuku further said the reassignment of workers to ‘Guantanamo’ is also in conflict with Section 31 of the Constitution, which provides that every person “shall have the right to fair and safe labour practices and to fair remuneration”.

A governance expert Charles Kajoloweka said the practice of assigning to ‘Guantanamo’ those officials deemed disloyal, confirms political patronage is put above the laid down procedures.

‘‘It also smacks of unprofessional conduct by public servants who indulge in partisan politics, hence become a target in the event of change of government as they are treated as political agents.’’

He said the unreasonable number of PSs with nothing to do is due to political appeasement and called for public sector reforms.

‘It’s unfortunate that despite all the rhetoric about reforming the public service, there is no meaningful progress. There is no accountability around the reform agenda.’’