BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawi President Peter Mutharika has relieved Vice President Saulos Chilima of his duties as the chair for the Public Service Reform Commission (PSRC).
According to Minister of Information and Communications Technologies Nicholas Dausi, the functions of the commission have reverted to the Office of President and Cabinet and that Vice President Saulos Chilima and his team are now out of it.
The vice president’s fate comes few days after he advised the country’s citizens to stop clapping hands for politicians’ stupidity even if it is the president or himself.
But Dausi has quickly defended the move, saying Chilima and his reform commission had one year contract and it expired on 31 December, 2016.
“The mandate for Chilima and his Public Service Reform Commission came to an end on December 31, 2016. It finished,” said Dausi.
“Public Service Reform Commission had a life span of one year and now it has expired,” added Dausi.
He said all activities of reforms will now be under the Chief Secretary to government, Lloyd Muhara.
President Peter Mutharika launched the new public reforms programme on February 11 2015.
Mutharika appointed Chilima to head the ambitious programme, with several changes already under implementation and others in advanced stages of discussions.
Chilima provided strategic leadership in the implementation of the reforms.
The Vice-President’s press officer Pilirani Phiri said he could not comment on matter as Dausi is the government official spokesman.