Forum for National Development ( FND) says it is concerned with actions of the board of Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority ( MERA) in taking a court order to stop the Ombudsman from releasing a report into the alleged maladministration in the recruitment of its Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) Henry Kachaje whose recruitment is said to be unprocedural.
In a statement dated November 11, 2021 and signed by its Chairperson Bright Kampaundi and National Coordinator Fryson Chodzi, FND says as a complaint to the matter, it is looking forward to the conclusion of this issue and that it has set record straight in as far as public institutions are carrying out their mandates.
Bright Kampaundi
The forum says what the Mera did is obstructing the work of the Ombudsman and that it is as a deliberate effort to stop the public from knowing the truth of what happened during the recruitment process. ” The Constitution already has a remedy for redress as the determination by the Ombudsman can be challenged at the high court. We therefore, wonder why MERA Board Prematurely stopped the Ombudsman from doing her constitutional mandate . We urge the Ombudsman to apply to the courts and vacate the injunction obtained thereafter, make the findings official and public.” We written the Public Appointments Committee ( PAC) of Malawi National Assembly, to Institute and investigation on the conduct of MERA Board and should they be found wanting and negligible to the events so far, appropriate remedial action must be taken”, reads the statement.
As Ombudsman Grace Malera was busy presenting the report, some two ladies fro. Mera side came with some papers and Chalera announced that she had been served with an injunction not to present the report to the public.
The retired general secretary of Livingstonia Synod, Reverend Levi Nyondo has been confirmed as Ambassador to Brazil. He will be replacing Chris Chaima Banda, former Strategic Advisor to President Lazarus Chakwera, who turned down the appointment.
Joyce Chitsulo, who is the Public Appointments Committee of Parliament Chairperson confirmed the development highlighting that Chaima Banda refusal to take up the post meant they had to find the replacement.
Nyondo who was General Secretary of CCAP Livingstonia Synod retired last year and his farewell event was held on 27th December 2020 in Mzuzu.
Nyondo was a strong critic of the then ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mainly on quota system which the Church believed was discriminatory and targeted the northern region.
The Centre for Public Accountability has issued a statement demanding the immediate resignation of Mr. Leonard Chikadya and the entire Board of Directors of the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority in relation to their obtained injunction to gag, silence and act above the constitutional rights protector, The Ombudsman. This follows, the board action in obtaining an injunction to stop the Ombudsman from releasing a report that implicates the board for recruiting the unqualified Henry Kachaje as MERA chief executive officer.
In a statement seen by 247malawi news and signed by its acting Director Kondwani Bell Munthali , Centre for public accountability says “The act of gagging a constitutional office from executing its mandate is a gross violation of the constitution itself, the trust public officials have to maintain with the public under section 12 of the Malawi Constitution and is an affront to public accountability.”
“MERA is a public body under the Energy Regulatory Act (2004) therefore all its decisions are subject to public scrutiny, including the constitutional Office of the Ombudsman. An attempt to circumvent such constitutional body from discharging its mandate reflects the culture of arrogance y those holding public offices and lack of transparency that the MERA board wishes to perpetuate in Malawi.”
Centre for Public Accountability Acting Director Kondwani Bell Munthali
“The Ombudsman determinations can be subjected to a review by the High Court where one is aggrieved. MERA Board has decided to hide information from Malawians as the best remedy for their below standard, archaic and clearly biased recruitment process”
According to the group This act to gag a Constitutional body, is unprecedented in our short democratic history, as such we ask the appointing authority of the Board to immediately demand resignation of these undemocratic persons who do not believe in transparency and accountability.
The group say if the board does not resign within 48 hours, they are expect the appointing authorities, if they have any democratic credentials, to dissolve the MERA Board and a proper review by prosecution bodies be undertaken to determine if they did not breach the law, in their biased and discriminatory recruitment.
Henry Kachaje was appointed MERA CEO in August, a decision that was challenged as some sectors claimed , he is not fully qualified and doesnt have a masters degree which was one of the requirement. The ombudsman received a complaint and they were due to announce final details of the report today before an injunction stopped them.
The director of Youth in UTM Bon Kalindo , famously known as Winiko in drama circles has owned the facebook post that was being shared on social media where he is apologising to Malawians for leading them into voting for Tonse Alliance.
Kalindo who is scheduled to give a bombshell interview on Rainbow Tv on Wednesday evening expressed his dissatisfaction with the way Tonse government is performing “ We were promised Canaan but our journey hasn’t yet even reached Lingadzi “Kalindo is heard saying in a snippet from his scheduled interview
Bon Kalindo on Rainbow TV
In the Facebook post Kalindo wrote , “We thought things will be better, we though we will have 1 million jobs “He urged the youths to rise up and demand from the leaders a fulfilment of what they promised during the campaign time.
Kalindo however has surprised many by defending Saulos Chilima , who is UTM leader and vice President of the country. He said , while people voted Tonse Alliance because of Chilima, he cannot do much as he is only a vice President who has to be delegated by the President.
In making these remarks Kalindo challengeg MCP party, highlighting that he is not afraid to speak his mind , even though he has already been receiving threats from what he calls MCP People
The full interview will air on Wednesday on Rainbow TV
In the past few days, major and other small media houses and platforms were flooded with reports indicating that groups of students from different public universities have petitioned the Malawi government over higher education loans and grants board’ students upkeep allowances.
In preamble, a petition to the government and copied to the vice president, Saulos Chilima, dated 4th November, 2021, seems to have eloquently presented to the relevant authorities. In fact, Students from different colleges and universities right form Chitipa to Nsanje, smiled on the petition and hope to see the other positive end of a reply from the responsible officers at the loans and grants board offices.
Looking at the decorated faces on these public universities students, one may be tempted to conclude that the presentation of the petition to the government, in students’ minds on the other side, feel that the petition has already yielded a positive note, and that the board responsible for students’ loans has responded in favour of the demands: let’s wait and see first – anyway, that ought to, as usual, be normal within students when they hear news pointing to money and its affiliates.
In the sentiments above, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR), agriculture student, harnessed his opportunism by hailing the public universities students’ leaders in taking a brave step on pushing the officials for a careful consideration to increase the upkeep allowances to a minimum of K280,000 from the initial amount of K100,000. Another Biomedical engineering student Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) concurred with LUANAR student on the same.
To the contrary, Mzuzu University (MZUNI) Theological studies student, goes parallel to the general hopeful song being sang by the university students since, if the battle succeeds, the financial pockets of these students shall get fatter with the proposed hiked loans and upkeep allowances from the higher education loans and grants board in our mother nation, Malawi.
The student theologian claims that the demands are myopic in nature since the students’ leaders are failing to fight for the common goodness of both rich and poor scholars from all over Malawi. He added that, for example, if one visits MZUNI and many other colleges, the very first features one will cross are the rivers of tears from cries of needy students who were not even selected to benefit from the public funds in form of loans and grants. To him, those enjoying are the ones who were picked up and accessed the students loans.
The bible studier, further suggested that it could have been much good if the public universities students’ leaders petitions the government for universal loans and grants to all students; as there are so many other tertiary students who are struggling to access the same loan facility hence vividly rumbling to survive during their studies, and of course, risking withdraws from colleges and universities on financial grounds.
In other views, Nalikule College of education student lined her thoughts to that of MZUNI student, saying the students’ leaders could have indeed opted to press over the authorities to consider dashing every student at colleges a loan rather than leaving out other needy students who come from malnourished financial statured families from Mzimba at Nthalire, Thyolo at Thamva, Kaboola in Dedza, and the list is endless.
Continuously, some passionate Malawians including the likes of Gerrald Chavez Kampanikiza of GCK cameras and Onjezani Kenani, embark on different initiatives of sourcing funds aimed at bailing out needy students in Malawian universities including UNIMA, LUANAR, who were at vent of withdrawing from their studies due to financial constraints on tuition fees and individual upkeep allowances. These separate initiatives from these well-wishers have benefitted, in their little capacities, a bunch of needy students in many schools and colleges.
To that contention, it is truly unmerited and, indeed, a missed target for the students to petition the government to increase upkeep allowances which will benefit only those that are already receiving the so called ‘little upkeep allowances’ instead of fighting and petitioning officials for universal loans and grants which would largely benefit a big chunk of students including those who were left on the beneficiaries list. From the onset, public universities students’ leaders, look broader and consider fighting even for those who are struggling to access the Tambala in that loan facility alone.
If, for example, the said upkeep allowances remain at K100,000 per semester, the remaining K180,000 from the proposed K280,000 from at least 1,000 students, it would be used to pay tution fees for a bunch of needy students. The students’ leaders should rather press for all students from higher learning institutions be granted loans to at least hundreds of needy students who are dancing the poverty tunes would benefit from the monitory facility thereon.
The author is a Mzuzu University finalist. He was propelled to write the article post-affective to the struggles needy students are facing after being left out from the loans and grants board selection of beneficiaries in the recent years.
