BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—As the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) fails to prove its relevance in the country marred with unprecedented corrupt practices, the Office of the Ombudsman has said their focus will now be on issues of maladministration in public institutions.The Ombudsman’s remarks come at a time when corruption is at the peak in public institutions.
Malawi’s Ombudsman, Martha Chizuma Mwangonde disclosed the change of focus in Lilongwe during a systematic investigation training workshop.
She said for the past years, her office solely focused on labour related cases, something she described to be far from the mandate of the institution.
“Gone will be the days when the office of the Ombudsman acted as the industrial relations court for public servants. The ultimate vision for this office from now up to 2021 is to have a Malawi free of maladministration.
“My office will among other things be policing all forms of bad administration in the country, rectifying and remedying of all forms of injustices occasioned to Malawians by various government bodies and set standards for provision of services,” explained Mwangonde.
The Ombudsman then described the training workshop her staff members were undertaking as an important instrument to achieve the quest.
“My office intends to carry out systematic investigations in cases where serious or perpetual acts of maladministration have been reported. But that cannot be effectively and efficiently execute minus the new skill and knowledge.
“The training therefore will help to equip the office with new tools as we embark on our journey to a Malawi free of maladministration,” she explained.
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Samuel Tembenu commended the office of the Ombudsman for repositioning itself with the aim of exploiting the constitutional mandate by purely focusing on issues of maladministration.
“Let me point out without fear or contradiction that the work of the office of the Ombudsman is to make sure that public service users, rights are promoted and protected regardless of their societal status, tribe, religion and disability.
“It is my hope that this office will speak to the public service reform agenda and at the same time be a mouthpiece for the voiceless and all Malawians who unfortunately are always facing substandard delivery of services when they visit public office but for different reasons do not formally complain about them,” Tembenu explained.
The Office of Ombudsman is an independent institution entrusted with the mandate of ensuring that Malawians get unique services from the public institutions. It investigates and provides remedy to various cases.
Meanwhile, the Ombudsman’s sister body, Anti-Corruption Bureau is finding it hard to regain public trust following internal fight which exposed unprofessionalism taking centre stage at the graft-busting body.