Parliamentary Public Appointments Committee (PAC) has lined up 17 people during its two-week cluster meetings to confirm or reject President Lazarus Chakwera’s appointments to various public offices.

The committee started its cluster meetings on Monday at Parliament Building in Lilongwe and will conclude on February 3 2023 but the confirmation hearings will begin this morning with three commissioners of the Civil Service Commission.

Chitsulo: We will meet from Monday

Thereafter, the committee will interrogate Malawi’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union (AU) designate Kester Kaphaizi, a former Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

According to the agenda, PAC will also scrutinise the competences of Chakwera’s appointees to the boards of the Green Belt Authority and the newly-instituted Civil Aviation Authority.

In an interview yesterday, PAC chairperson Joyce Chitsulo said besides names of appointees appearing on the agenda, her committee will also interview the newly appointed Director of Public Prosecutions Masauko Chamkakala and Hillary Chilomba, who has been appointed deputy director of Anti-Corruption Bureau.

She said: “For the Civil Service Commission, the committee will confirm Patrick Victor Kachimera, Elias Chakwera and Reverend Dr. Davidson Chifungo while Regina Sambakusi, Kondwani Banda, McCallum Sibande, Gift Chilavulagaga and Reverend P.P.J. Kambulire will be considered for the Green Belt Authority board.”

The committee will then wind up its confirmation hearing with the board members in-waiting for the Civil Aviation Authority who includes Lymon Z. Phesele, Gerald Chikho, Lauryn Nyasulu, Temwa Kanjadza, Noel Misanjo and James Kamsesa.

During the 10-day meetings, the committee will also consider a response to the Special Law Commission on the review of the Public Officers Act, consider conditions of service for Members of Parliament and get a briefing from the Secretary for the Civil Service Commission on the current composition of the commission.

Further, the Chitsulo-led team is expected to meet the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Secretary for Health on progress in resolving concerns raised by specialist doctors and the Inspector General of Police on compliance with the requirements for the declaration of assets by listed police officers.

Finally, the committee will meet the director general of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets on compliance with the requirements for the declaration of assets, the Judicial Service Commission on the introduction of a performance management system in the Judiciary and the Law Commissioner on the review of conditions of service for the Law Commission.

Governance and human rights advocate Undule Mwakasungula said the confirmation hearings were an important exercise to bring professionalism and sanity in the public offices as such it needs to be supported.

“I believe that politics will not be at the centre of these hearings as Malawi has one problem which is politicisation of everything,” he said.

PAC’s mandate is provided under Standing Order 157 and among its functions are to scrutinise, consider and inquire into the competence of public appointees under the Constitution.

The post PAC lines up 17 for confirmation first appeared on The Nation Online.

The post PAC lines up 17 for confirmation appeared first on The Nation Online.