PAC tenure frowned on

 The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has come under scrutiny after it emerged that its executive members remain in office one year after their mandate expired.

While the committee has defended itself by stating that the PAC board of trustees extended their mandate, critics have said such a practice is a breach of the cardinal principle of accountability, one of the very foundations upon which PAC was built and projects a moral authority.

The quasi-religious grouping’s executive, currently chaired by Monsignor Patrick Thawale, was elected in December 2019 on a three-year tenure.

Governance expert Mavuto Bamusi on Thursday described the situation as a violation of internal governance of the institution and demonstrates PAC’s failure to walk the talk.

He said in an interview:” PAC rebukes political parties when they do not practice democratic principles of leadership succession. Clearly, PAC has lost the moral ground and it has to elect new office bearers urgently without further excuses.”

But PAC board of trustees chairperson Reverend Fanuel Emmauel Magangani, in a written response, indicated that the Board of Trustees, being the legal owners, renewed the mandate of the executive so that the committee should, among others, finalise reviewing a revised PAC constitution that is expected to be presented at its annual general meeting (AGM) for adoption.

According to Magangani, the board used Article 15.4 of the PAC constitution, which states: “In the event that a new Executive Committee is not in place, the existing committee shall continue to transact business for the sake of PAC’s continuity.”

He added that “trustees may use their power to do all such other lawful things as are necessary for the achievement of PAC objects”.

Magangani further said it is the desire of his board that the current committee executes an All-Inclusive Stakeholders’ Conference prior to its AGM, arguing that the conference is a complex event and with the current political and economic terrain, it is likely to deliberate on contentious matters.

He said: “Based on the briefing from PAC secretariat, these events should take place in the first-quarter of 2024, other factors remaining constant. So, yes, we made resolutions based on our constitution and pending events.

“As of last year, towards the end, we should have met the cost of an AGM as member organisations, but for thorough realisation of PAC objectives we had to make decisions.”

But Bamusi insists that PAC is giving a lame excuse by citing the All- Inclusive Conference, saying the grouping is hypocritical because it quickly condemns others for doing the same.

He argued that the cited Article in the constitution is a bad one and needs to be amended, saying PAC fought against the third-term bid of Bakili Muluzi in 2003, and the organisation should not use institutional rules that bring ‘third terms’ within PAC, through the backdoor.

“PAC advocates for public sector reforms, including electoral reforms. Let PAC lead by example by removing its own anti-democratic rules, and hold PAC elections immediately. Let the current leadership organise an election and pave the way for a new crop of leadership,” said Bamusi.

Another governance expert Henry Chingaipe, who is also director of the Institute for Policy Research and Social Empowerment, pointed out on Thursday that what is worrisome is that the mandate expired a year ago and he wonders whether PAC’s constitution has provisions that allow such extensions.

He said if the scheduled conference can be held within the next three months are per the constitution, then there is no governance.

The current PAC executive committee also has Osman Karim, who was re-elected vice-chairperson; Reverend Father Mark Mkandawire, who retained the position of board secretary; Bishop Gilford Matonga as publicity secretary and Reverend Davidson Chifungo as treasurer.

Executive members are the Reverend Matilda Matabwa, Agnes Kamoto, Sheikh Jaffar Kawinga and the Reverend Maureen Tinenenji.

In November last year, PAC released a statement after meeting President Lazarus Chakwera, urging him to be decisive and sensitive to finding solutions to ease the suffering of Malawians who feel hopeless and perceive the governing Tonse Alliance as clueless.

In the statement, PAC said Chakwera’s indecisiveness and slowness to act on crucial issues “remains a great enemy” to his leadership legacy.

PAC was formed in 1992 by several religious groups to facilitate dialogue with president Hastings Kamuzu Banda during the transition from one-party to plural politics, through the Presidential Committee on Dialogue.

PAC founding member-organisations include the Anglican Diocese of Upper Shire, Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi, CCAP Blantyre Synod, Muslim Association of Malawi, CCAP General Synod, CCAP Livingstonia Synod, Episcopal Conference of Malawi, Malawi Council of Churches and Malawi Law Society.

Others were African Methodist Episcopal Church of Malawi and all respective dioceses of the Catholic Church, Africa Evangelical Church, Anglican Diocese of Northern Malawi, CCAP Nkhoma Synod, Central African Confederation of Seventh Day Baptist Church, Evangelical Association of Malawi, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malawi.

Providence Industrial Mission, Quadria Muslim Association of Malawi, United Evangelical Church of Malawi, United Methodist Church, Zambezi Evangelical Church and Baptist Convention of Malawi also make up the PAC membership.

The grouping also has associate members in Christian Health Association of Malawi, Christian Service Committee of Malawi, Scripture Union and Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry