The Malawi Police Service is an independent organ of the executive that is mandated by the constitution to protect public safety and the rights of persons in Malawi.[2] The Malawi Police Service is overseen by an Inspector General of Police.
The Inspector General is the head of the Malawi Police Service. The position is appointed by the President of Malawi and confirmed by the National Assembly.[2] The Public Appointments Committee may at any time inquire as to the competence of the person.[2] The Inspector General of Police can only serve for five years in that position.[2] The Inspector General of Police can be removed by the president for being incompetent, incapacitated, compromised, or reaching retirement age.[2]
The Inspector General oversees the Malawi Police Service (MPS) under Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Security.[3] The Inspector General is assisted by a Deputy and two commissioners who run the administration and operations respectively.[4] The current Inspector General is remembered for strengthening MPS by establishing two new policing regions, that is, Central East and South East.[5]
During the Hastings Banda regime the police were involved in suppressing dissent. After the 8 March 1992 pastoral letter:
There were public demonstrations in support of the bishops - notably at the University in Blantyre and Zomba, where soldiers indicated their support for the students and deterred violent police action against the protesters. This was the first sign of the army's future political role. In May 1992 student protesters were joined by striking workers in Blantyre. In two days of riots dozens of protesters were killed by armed police and Young Pioneers.[6]
The capabilities of the Malawi Police Service are growing, but its abilities to deter and investigate crimes, assist victims, and apprehend criminals are extremely limited. The police lack basic equipment (particularly transportation), are poorly funded, and do not receive sufficient training. Public support for the police has continued to drop, due in part to alleged corruption and ineffectiveness in deterring criminal activity.[7]
^Richard Carver, Malawi: Between the Referendum and the Elections, 1 May 1994, accessed April 2021, citing Amnesty International, "Malawi March–July 1992: mass arrests of suspected government opponents", (AI Index: AFR 36/37/92), September 1992.
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