Exits Marita, enters Chisomo

Dear judge Mbadwa,

My lord, those who thought the departure of Marita Chimbeki at the Nyasaland’s Ombudsman’s office would spell the end of the fight against general injustices in the country never imagined that we will have somebody who is equal to the task taking the reins of power there.

Those who celebrated at the departure of Marita should be very, very worried.

My lord, I cannot deny that I am excited at the appointment of Chisomo Mlerakhungwa and I want to gladly welcome Chisomo to the business of fighting for the downtrodden, the underprivileged and ensuring that authorities are taken to account for their decisions and actions.

Chisomo Mlerakhungwa is capable of scaling the heights that Marita reached and even surpassing them.

As an assertive goal-getter, meticulous leader and human rights activist, Chisomo’s work at the Nyasaland Human Rights Commission where she rose from principal legal officer to executive secretary speaks for itself.

It was during her time that the plight of inmates was laid bare and the hitherto unheard of prison inspections of note became the order of the day.

That she came tops after competing against equally capable people, most of whom are friends too, such as the Ambassador, the Glory one, and Blessings is something that is giving me confidence that the Public Appointments Committee did not make a mistake.

My lord, my advice to Chisomo Mlerakhungwa is that she should hit the ground running to show that Marita’s shoes are in fact not too big to fill.

There is already a lot happening that needs Chisomo’s attention as the Capital Hill or the Capital City looks more like a crime scene. Check your in-tray whether you will see something about Nsundwe rape cases, the shenanigans of political appointees and all that jazz.

Having said that, Chisomo’s predecessor did a wonderful job and you just have to ask the likes of Nyasaland Energy Regulatory Authority (Nera) and Nyasaland Electoral Commission to testify how they were at one time squeezed like a lemon for some decisions they made.

Marita taught us that there should never be shortcuts in government operations whether in hiring of employees or in procurement for whatever reasons.

As Chisomo Mlerakhungwa is being welcomed at her new office this September, perhaps with a song, Timtamande Mulungu, by an alumni Catholic choir from the college that God loved most, know that your job is cut out for you.

Congratulations Chisomo on your appointment.

Regards,

John Citizen.

With Emmanuel LucianoFeedback: whatsapp 09 99 253 633