As the country continues facing high rate of robbery cases, opposition political parties have questioned Malawi Police recruitment exercise, saying it is contributing to security lapse.

Commenting on the exercise, leader of opposition Dr Lazarus Chakwera who is also the president of Malawi congress party said that he has faulted the unprofessional recruitment of police officers whom he said most of them are party zealots who do not take the law seriously.

“I have stated over and over on what they can do to change the things for the better but they have a prerogative to disregard what I have been saying.

In recruitment do not take party zealots and say these should be police men and women,” said Chakwera.

According to Chakwera, high crime rate in the country is as results of a systematic way of not being professional in what the recruitment has done.

On his part,Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Internal Security, Enock Chihana, also criticized the recruitment of cops.

Chihana said the recruitment process for police officers is “so lacking that the service has even recruited thieves and thugs”.

“We have noticed that when recruiting these officers, there is no background check and to make things worse the training period is too short as it ranges from three to six months,” said Chihana.

Effort to talk to National Police Spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo proved futile as his mobile phone was not available.