HRDC wants State House errant officials probed
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) says it wants State House to report to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) errant officials who are engaging in alleged corrupt practices.
This follows a warning State House chief of staff Prince Kapondamgaga made on Tuesday to officials who are alleged to be using President Lazarus Chakwera’s name to get numerous favours.
But in an interview yesterday, HRDC chairperson Gift Trapence said the warning alone is not enough. He said State House should report the officials to ACB, failing which they will move to write the graft-busting body instead.
Trapence said there is need to bring sanity and that can only happen if those suspected are investigated and held to account.
He said: “HRDC is expecting State House to report the matter to ACB for investigations. If State House will not do this, the HRDC will officially write to ACB, requesting the office to investigate the allegations.”
Kapondamgaga’s warning to the State House officials came against a background of alleged land grabbing by officials from State House, Lilongwe City Council and Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).
It is alleged that the officials shared plots in Lilongwe’s Area 49 and started construction before community members stopped them and reported the matter to Lilongwe City Council.
It is also alleged that some State House officials are soliciting bribes from prospective bidders for government contracts.
While HRDC said it appreciates State House for taking a bold step in warning the suspected errant public officials, the grouping believes that enough has not been done on the matter.
Trapence stressed that in the war against corruption and its related ills, State House has to take a firm stand, further pointing out that a mere warning is not convincing enough to Malawians.
Apart from that, he said the HRDC is happy with the unified approach by residents of Lilongwe’s Area 49 who stopped a land encroacher who had started to build on public land that was supposed to serve Malawians.
Minister of Lands Samuel Kawale and his deputy Deus Gumba on Tuesday visited the disputed piece of land to appreciate the extent of the encroachment. He assured the communities that no public official will be spared.
But the HRDC leader said the Ministry of Lands has to be proactive and vigilant in protecting public land, stressing that such gross acts of land robbery are happening under their eyes.
When asked about how the matter is being handled, Chakwera’s press secretary Anthony Kasunda said State House will take action.
He said: “State House is taking administrative corrective measures in the same manner it does to discipline any member of staff engaged in malpractices that violate the code of conduct of State House.”
Kasunda said such corrective measures are also taking into consideration the security aspect of State House.
Kapondamgaga in his notice said State House officials must desist from deceitful, unethical, dishonest, fraudulent and harmful acts that can dent the reputation and trust of the President.
