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| Features |
| Politicking on Police Inspector General |
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by
Jacob Jimu, 02 March 2005
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15:54:37
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The career of Mary Damson Nangwale as Inspector General of Police seems destined to be brought to a crush landing even before it soars higher. With the Malawi Congress Party and United Democratic Front (UDF) reportedly plotting to block her confirmation when Parliament meets this month, there can obviously never be a worse end to one’s career than to be brought down at its very peak.
The two parties are arguing that Nangwale presided over a tragic event in 2001 when police in her Eastern Police Region gunned down a third year education student at Chancellor College (Chanco), Fanikiso Phiri. The other argument is that Nangwale is irresponsible and disrespectful to cabinet ministers and MPs by authorising her officers to search them at presidential functions. On the basis of the two issues, the two parties are allegedly convinced that Nangwale deserves to be kicked out of the seat she has occupied only from September last year.
Head of the Department of Political and Administrative Studies at Chanco Mustaf Hussein suspects that the real motive behind the plot to frustrate Nangwale’s confirmation is the desire by MCP and UDF to score some political points against President wa Mutharika. Hussein says the two parties just want to show that the opposition is equally powerful and that it can torpedo the President’s plans.
“You know, Nangwale has been very tough since she assumed her position. She has taken on very high profile individuals in the UDF and obviously this has not endeared her to the UDF,” argues Hussein.
Hussein trashes the grounds being used by the two parties as justification for their stand, saying even if Nangwale might have erred in the past, she still needs to be given a chance to prove herself.
“In my view, Nangwale has brought in some semblance of reason and professionalism into the police service and we need to give her a chance despite the mistakes she might have made before assuming her position,” says Hussein.
He says the two parties are united by the fact that they have similar grievances against Mutharika. He cites the issue of the scarcity of fertiliser the country experienced this year and the K1 billion loan scheme over which MCP has voiced reservations. MCP argues that Mutharika should have sought Parliament’s approval before launching the scheme.
“Also remember that MCP has a court case disputing Bingu’s victory in last year’s elections. On the other hand, the UDF is bitter that Bingu ditched the party. So, these grievances have created a common ground for the two parties to gang up against the President,” adds Hussein.
Hussein is not sure whether the two parties will be able to muster the majority needed to carry the day against Nangwale’s confirmation. He says it is difficult to establish now whether all MPs for the two parties will toe their parties’ line.
“However, if all UDF and MCP MPs gang up against her then they will carry the day,” predicts Hussein.
Professor Wiseman Chijere Chirwa, lecturer in History at Chanco agrees with Hussein that the two parties do not have solid grounds for blocking Nangwale’s confirmation. Chijere Chirwa says there is no reason for the two parties to use late Fanikiso’s death to score political points.
He says at the time Phiri was killed the UDF was in power and it was within its mandate as a governing party to institute a commission of inquiry to fully explore the issues surrounding his death and take action.
“How can you make an opinion on an issue which has not been fully investigated? If the UDF is saying history is catching up with Nangwale, then it should also catch up with them because the party was in government then,” argues Chijere Chirwa.
Like Hussein, Chijere Chirwa could not predict Nangwale’s chances of going through. He says political dynamics at the moment are too fluid to predict as people are still moving in and out of political parties.
Senior chief Lukwa of Kasungu has no kind words for the parties behind the machinations against the IG. He says using the searches made on ministers and MPs as a basis for trying to push Nangwale out of the position is a sign of political immaturity. He says the police conduct searches on people as security precautions and that nobody should use his or her status to stymie their work.
“On the issue of Fanikiso, there was a government at the time of his death and it was the duty of the government to set up a commission of inquiry to look into the issue and take an appropriate action. To revive the matter now really raises a lot of suspicion on the real motive for their action,” says Lukwa.
He adds that on the basis of Nangwale’s performance so far it is only fair to confirm her.
“Besides, Malawi has set a record as the only country in this part of Africa where a woman is Inspector General. It will be very sad if we lose that record because of partisan politics,” says Lukwa.
Lukwa is confident that despite the threats from the two parties, Nangwale will be confirmed. He argues that MPs are now responsible and free from the bondage of their political parties and that they will place national interests above partisan interests.
Professor Kings Phiri who teaches history at Chanco cautions that using politics to deny Nangwale the confirmation is a huge disservice to national interests. He says Parliament should use her track record in the public service as a benchmark for judging her performance.
“Late Fanikiso died in a crisis that was political in nature and controlling officers in police were not free to handle it. On the issue of searches conducted on ministers and MPs, one should appreciate that there was a crisis which necessitated the searches,” says Phiri.
Phiri predicts a 50-50 balance of power in Parliament between those opposing and supporting the confirmation of Nangwale. He expresses hope that some of the MPs will look beyond partisan interests and promote the national good.
For the anti-Nangwale camp to carry the day, it needs at least 97 MPs. If all 60 MCP MPs in the 193-member Parliament toe their party line then the UDF will only need to top up the list with 37 MPs. The UDF should be able to muster over 40 MPs from its own ranks and from among independent MPs loyal to it. So, on the basis of this hypothesis, Nangwale’s confirmation will be hard to achieve.
Which concerns Boniface Dulani, a political scientist at Chanco.
“MCP and UDF may have the majority in Parliament but they need to use it responsibly. They should realise that the national good overrides partisan interests,” advises Dulani.
The outcome of the Nangwale power game will obviously be a litmus test for President Bingu’s political stamina. It could also provide a window into the muscle his yet to be launched Democratic Progressive Party. Meanwhile, let us wait and see. |
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