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Lilongwe City South East MP Respicious Dzanjalimodzi (MCP), who was secretary to Treasury when the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament exposed the K187 million ($1.8 million) scandal, was on Tuesday elected as chair of the committee whose mandate is to crack down on public mismanagement.
Dzanjalimodzi, who was unceremoniously moved from Treasury to head the defunct Public Procurement Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet, is expected to close ranks with President Bingu wa Mutharika in the fight against graft and public wastage from the legislative front.
According to the guidelines, the committee is expected to produce at least two reports in a year, bringing public officers to account on their use of resources and compliance to sanctioned regulations and systems.
But parliamentary sources said on Wednesday, the previous committee, again headed consecutively by MCP MPs — Situsi Nkhoma (Kasungu South) and Peter Chiwona (formerly of Chitipa East) – only produced four reports between 1999 and 2004.
Dedza South West MP Kate Kainja (MCP) will head the Public Appointments and Declaration of Assets Committee, expected to consider the appointment of the new Director of Public Prosecutions Ishmael Wadi, select a new Ombudsman and approve names of diplomats.
Kainja is also expected to trace the draft bill proposing a legal framework for declaring assets and wealth accumulation by the President, cabinet ministers, MPs and senior government officials, including those heading parastatals.
The committee drafted the bill while it was headed by Chiradzulu East MP Henry Mussa but the bill mysteriously missed in the Attorney General’s chambers.
Machinga Northeast MP Atupele Muluzi was elected chair of the Legal Affairs Committee. His committee is expected to deal with the DPP when he refuses to give consent to the Anti Corruption Bureau within 30 days after the consent has been requested.
His committee is also expected to decipher legal bills that fail to attract consensus in the committee of the whole House.
Controversy surrounds the election of Chitipa East MP Chizamsoka Mulwafu (Independent) as Budget and Finance Committee chair. His deputy is former Malawi Investment Promotion Agency general manager Ted Kalebe, a veteran economist and diplomat.
“He does not have the requisite qualities for the post. But some members of UDF said they did it because they do not want the post to go to MCP. But if this committee is going to be meaningful the elections will have to be conducted again,” said a member of the committee.
Mzimba South West MP Khumbo Kachale (UDF) will chair the Defence and Security Committee.
The House has a total of 12 committees but only five have so far been constituted.
The remaining committees are commerce, industry and tourism; social and community affairs; education, science and human resources; health and population; agriculture and irrigation; transport and public works; and media and communication.
The elected chairpersons will undergo orientation on Wednesday and Thursday before workshops for all committee members on August 9 and 10, 2004.
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