By Hendriner Kagwira
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has admitted that the country’s government systems perpetuate looting with impunity, ordering a review of the systems.
Speaking on Sunday, February 14, 2021 in his Sixth national address on Covid-19, where he confirmed the mismanagement of the MK6.2 billion Covid-19 funds, Chakwera said there is a culture of impunity for wastage, misappropriation and theft of resources in government system which encourages corruption.
“Over the past 27 years, the government system has been rigged with bad and old laws, procedures, policies and contracts that are clearly designed to not only facilitate waste, abuse and theft but also protect those who enhance in these acts from being fined or prosecuted,” he said
He pointed out the allowance, procurement and civil service employment contract systems as the three government systems used by public officers to rob Malawians while escaping punishment.
Chakwera further ordered a review of the systems, delegating the minister of public sector reforms, Dr Saulos Chilima to champion the exercise and make necessary recommendations in three months time.
“The recommendations must include legislative changes we must make in our laws at one of the sittings of Parliament this year, so that our laws protect the interest and resources of the public, not the rubble of public servants who use broken systems to loot and use bad laws and contracts to keep their jobs in this system and keep looting. He added
He also stated that the recommendations should consider reconstruction of the civil servants’ condition of service so that they do not use poor pay as an excuse for wasting abusing and stealing government resources.
Meanwhile, following revelations of mismanagement of Covid-19 funds, the president has fired the presidential task force on Covid-19 chairperson, John Phuka who has been replaced by Chalamira Nkhoma.
Chakwera has also sacked the commissioner for Department of Disaster and Management Affairs, James Chiusiwa and has suspended all cluster heads.
