Youth and Society (YAS) in conjunction with Center for Human Rights Rehabilitation (CHRR) have said the Ombudsman report should serve as a reminder to the Tonse Administration in upholding  the rule of law in public recruitment and appointments.

The report by Ombudsman Martha Chizuma which was released on Friday last week, unveiled the maladministration and fraudulent recruitment of public officers at Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) including its chief executive officer Dr. Collins Magalasi.

A joint statement signed by the executive director of Youth and Society Charles Kajoloweka and Center for Human Rights Rehabilitation Micheal Kaiyatsa has strongly condemned the acts of maladministration, abuse of power and gross incompetence by the Mutharika regime and the board and management of Mera.

Read part of the statement: “The ombudsman report has vindicated our long term doubts and concerns of abuse of power and public funds to benefit the corrupt ruling elite.”

It further stated that the report is a reminder of the country’s poor governance in most parastatals which calls for the urgent need to expedite public reforms.

The two have also emphasized that the report should serve as a fresh reminder to the Tonse Administration to always uphold the rule of law in public appointments and recruitments.

The institutions have thus called upon all parastatals to conduct internal investigations into the appointments and recruitments of officers from 2014.