Employees at Blantyre Water Board (BWB) have resumed work, 11 days after staging a sit-in and demonstrating to push for the removal of the board’s chief executive Andrew Thawe.
Mr. Andrew Thawe was appointed as the Chief Executive of Blantyre Water Board in May 2010. He is a registered Civil Engineer with Malawi Board of Engineers and also a corporate member of the Malawi Institution of Engineers. He holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration (ESAMI).
In a letter dated September 16 2014 addressed to the employees, the comptroller of statutory corporations Zanga Chikhosi says Thawe has been sent on leave to pave way for investigations such as is being accused of making unilateral dismissals, favouring some workers and failure to protect the welfare of the workers.
Last week, the employees resumed work after meeting with the board’s management and Chikhosi in a bid to seek solutions to the sit-in, but downed tools two days later, demanding official communication on the fate of Andrew Thawe.
“I write to further clarify that the chief executive has been sent on leave to pave the way for investigations. In the meantime, the director of finance and administration, who is the most senior among the directors, will act as the care-taker of Blantyre Water Board,” reads part of Chikhosi’s letter.
Mr. Henri Bakuwa joined BWB on 15th December, 2010 as Director of Finance. He has a wealth of experience in Finance and Accounting acquired from 22 years of work in the private and public sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accountancy) from the University of Malawi and he is Chartered Accountant.
Water Employees Trade Union of Malawi general secretary Tony Chiphwanya said in an interview that they have resumed work following receipt of the letter, describing it as a relief that government has started addressing their grievances.“This letter is a relief to us. We now know that our petitions have been considered. We have, therefore, resumed work. All we wanted was assurance that our concerns are being looked into,” Chiphwanya said.
He, however, said the union is waiting for another official communication from government, confirming that Thawe has received his copy of the letter.
