Ombudsman is still challenging us all
Dear judge Mbadwa,
My lord, if you thought the ombudsman report, which exposed the rot in the hiring of South African lawyers in the presidential appeal case by Nyasaland Electoral Commission’s was all there was, you should take some time to read her recent one on alleged recruitment malpractice at Nyasaland Energy Regulatory Authority (Nera).
The Marita Chimbeki report at Nera has further brought to light how people in authority can, without an iota of responsibility, throw all caution to wind to hire associates, relations, concubines and praise singers at the expense of deserving people without connections.
My lord, it is sad that the word ‘connections’ has become the lingua franca of modern recruitment, especially in the public service instead of the much glorified merit.
We have seen how Nera, through abuse of authority and nepotistic tendencies in recruitment by the leadership, found itself preparing a Molotov cocktail that generated into institutional anarchy instead of preoccupying themselves with the job of regulating energy, if you want fixing prices of fuel, in the country.
My lord, the Nera scenario or the recruitment irregularities pervade the entire government system and perpetuate corruption, underperformance as well as gross abuse in institutions.
Most organisations that are supposed to serve the public are greatly underperforming because the majority of the employees are either on the wrong job or breach laid down procedure and standards because they enjoy immunity from people who hired them.
As I said when the report on hiring of South African lawyers by the Nyasaland Electoral Commission report came out, this, too, is an indictment of several systems in government.
Marita has taught us that there should never be shortcuts in government operations whether in hiring of employees or in procurement for whatever reasons.
I will be compelled to repeat that people who are entrusted with power should be taken to account for their decisions and they should be made to pay for whatever mess they create.
Nyasaland can emerge from its cocoon of abject poverty if everyone maintains professionalism and rule of law in executing duties.
Now that Marita has shown that the country still has people who want to run things professionally, can every sector emulate her example?
My lord, Marita has challenged us and it is up to us to take her bait to be professional.
Regards,
John Citizen.
