A coalition of at least 17 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has issued a defiant ultimatum to Chief Secretary Justin Saidi, demanding the immediate reversal of his directive to second Ngora director general Felix Lombe to the Malawi College of Accountancy (MCA).
The groups, including heavyweights like NAP, HRDC, and CCJP, warned that if the decision is not rescinded, they will launch a coordinated legal offensive to block the move.
While Saidi claims the secondment follows public service regulations, the CSOs argue the directive is a power grab that bypasses the NGO Act, which vests staffing authority solely in the Ngora Board.
They are calling for an end to “unlawful appointments” and a return to transparent, merit-based governance.
In a letter delivered to Capital Hill on Thursday, the coalition warned that the move to sideline the Ngora chief undermines the institution’s independence and raises serious legal and governance alarms.
The coalition specifically flagged reports that Henry Mussa is being positioned as a successor, countering that Ngora’s leadership demands absolute neutrality and competence—traits they argue are incompatible with partisan influence.
Vowing a “zero-tolerance” approach, the CSOs declared they will not recognise any appointment made outside the rule of law and are prepared to exhaust all legal avenues to challenge such a decision.
While Saidi remained unreachable for comment after initially claiming ignorance of the letter, the NGO community stood firm.
Csat executive director Willy Kambwandira emphasised that the Ngora board is the sole legally-mandated authority to manage the CEO’s tenure, including secondments.
The petition gained significant weight with the backing of the Ngora Board chairperson Bertha Lipipa-Phiri alongside signatories, including NGO-GCN, Women’s Manifesto, Youth Decide Manifesto, HRCC, and the Nyika Institute.
Under Section 19(1) of the NGO Act, the Board appoints the registrar to serve as both chief executive officer and board secretary. Subsection (2) further specifies that the registrar’s terms and conditions of service are subject to Board approval.
