By Chisomo Phiri
The Office of the Ombudsman has announced that it has launched an investigation into the recruitment process of the the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Director General (DG) Brian Banda following a formal complaint alleging serious irregularities into his appointment.
In a letter seen by 247 Malawi News, the Ombudsman’s office confirms that a file has been opened and that MBC has been issued with a Notice of Investigation, requesting its official response to the allegations.
The probe follows a complaint by journalist Davie Danford Mchinga, who argues that Banda does not possess the required qualifications for the Director General position.
Mchinga, who is currently based in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA, also alleges that Banda’s appointment violated MBC’s recruitment procedures.
He claims that the position was neither advertised nor subjected to a competitive interview process.
Director of Investigations and Research at the Ombudsman’s office, Martha Ndeyana Kwengwere, is leading the inquiry.
In a letter addressed to the complainant, Kwengwere indicates that once MBC submits its response, the office will determine the next steps and communicate them to all relevant parties.
She has since urged the public to allow the investigation to proceed without premature conclusions.
Neither MBC nor Banda has commented on the matter so far.
The development marks the first formal scrutiny of Banda’s appointment since he assumed the role last month.
There are currently no publicly available records detailing Banda’s qualifications.
Banda previously worked for Capital Radio before serving as press officer for former President Joyce Banda.
He later joined Times Media Group.
He was subsequently appointed as a press officer under President Lazarus Chakwera but was later dismissed, after which he returned to Times Media Group until his recent appointment as MBC DG.
