LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has advised newly sworn-in acting Justices of Appeal to maintain a composed temperament in order to execute their duties without ego or emotion.

Chakwera made the remarks at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 during the swearing-in ceremony of three acting Justices of Appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal.

The Malawi said the appointments were made not only based on the justices’ academic and professional credentials.

Chakwera also said he believes they possess the right amount of courage, temperament, and philosophy of government.

He added that the three were appointed to preside over a case from which other judges recused themselves to avoid any emotional conflict of interest that could compromise the integrity of the case.

The President expressed confidence that the appointed justices would uphold the high standards set by their predecessors.

The newly sworn-in acting Justices of Appeal including Justice Rachel Sikwese, Justice Fiona Mwale and Justice Texious Masoamphambe.

Observes Chakwera, “A commitment to justice requires painstaking attention to the qualifications and qualities of those who are entrusted with the fiduciary responsibility of sitting on the bench of our courts. And no bench in the country should be subjected to greater scrutiny than the highest in the land, the Supreme Court of Appeals.

“But when we speak of qualifications, we as a country have a tendency to make the mistake of thinking only in terms of skills as reflected in the academic credential and in the professional experience of the candidates”.

He added, “But after serving as President for a total of 1760 days and having appointed hundreds of people across the public service, including judges to various courts, I am fully persuaded that the most impressive academic credentials and the most decorated professional experience will never be a sufficient qualification for public service.

“This is especially true for the arbiters of justice who sit as judges in our courtsThere are three other qualities that I consider absolutely necessary. The first is the right philosophy of Government.”

The Malawi leader explains further, “It is possible to have the best academic credential and professional experience, but if your philosophy of Government is wrong, your time in public service will do more harm than good. And as far as my own philosophy of
Government is concerned, I have made that very clear in my SUPER HI-5 pillars of servant leadership, uniting Malawians, prospering together, ending corruption, and the rule of law”.

He observes further, “But this philosophy is not shared by everyone, which is why you find that even in an election like the one we will have this year, there are candidates with impressive academic and professional experiences, but whose philosophy of Government is that public office exists to be used for
settling personal vendettas or self-enrichment or bossing people around or as a license to circumvent the law. But I advise those of you sworn in as judges today to lead by example in using public service only to uphold the law and advance the public good.

“The second indispensable quality you need in public service is a composed temperament. In the time that I have been President I have seen many well educated and experienced professionals in the public service lose their way because of decisions driven by emotion and ego, instead gathering information from all angles in order to see situations as they are, not as they are presented to be by people who want to
manipulate your emotions”.

Chakwera articulates, “I have seen public officers make bad decisions for the Malawian people because of their
personal dislike of someone that they wanted to frustrate and sabotage. But to be a person who is easily driven by emotion or ego is to be unfit for public service, and those of you sworn in today will do well to guard your hearts and to take every narrative you hear with a pinch of salt because most people will tell you one-sided stories that will lead you astray if you act on them without hearing other sides.

“The necessity of guarding your heart and protect your office from emotional and egotistical contaminations is precisely the reason the Chief Justice requested that I appoint you as Acting Justices to preside over a case from which other Judges have been wise enough to recuse themselves in order to avoid their emotional conflict of interest from compromising the integrity of the case, and you will do well to uphold the high standard they have set”.

The Malawi leader appeals, “The third and final quality that is necessary is courage, because there are those in this country whose only weapon of choice is threats of reprisals and violence, and you must do right by all persons in spite of the threats and dangers you face personally for doing the right thing for Malawi.

“You have been sworn in today because apart from your academic and professional accolades, I have faith that you also have the right amount of courage, the right kind of temperament, and the right philosophy of Government. And I wish you the very best as you go forth to discharge this noble and sacred duty with the seriousness it deserves”.