ADMARC Board dares activist Namiwa to be part of its interviewing panel or job applicant

Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) Board Chairperson, Alexander Kusamba-Dzonzi, has dared activist Sylvester Namiwa to join the panelists who will be hired to conduct interviews for candidates applying for various positions at the corporation.

After sending its workforce on suspension last week, the corporation disclosed that it would conduct a human resource audit to ascertain if their members of staff have requisite qualifications to hold their respective positions.

Kusamba-Dzonzi stated that the institution would lay off those found wanting in their educational and professional qualifications.

“We have taken this decision having established that the majority of the personnel do not have papers for the positions they are holding and this is one of the reasons the institution is failing to tick,” said Kusamba Dzonzi.

But addressing journalists in Lilongwe on Thursday, the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) Executive Director, Namiwa, and concerned citizens that accompanied him expressed fear that this could be a deliberate move by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP)-led coalition government to deal with staff members suspected of being sympathetic towards the erstwhile governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

“ADMARC has proven to be a tried and tested tool in making both maize and fertilizer accessible to Malawians. Therefore, it is a no brainer to play hide-and-seek with this entity’s existence at this critical moment. CDEDI’s unsolicited advice to President Chakwera and his cronies is that they should take their hands off ADMARC.

Needless to remind the President that he promised Malawians one million jobs, therefore, the least one would expect is to see as many as 3, 000 people losing their jobs at ADMARC,” he said.

Namiwa further asserted that there is excruciating hunger in Malawi contrary to the assurances by the Capital Hill that there is adequate stock of the staple grain in strategic reserves.

But commenting on the matter, Kusamba-Dzonzi dared Namiwa to write to the ADMARC Board to express his interest to be part of the panel that will interview the job applicants.

“We are not after anyone, but just to ensure that only those with the right qualifications are holding the positions. So, if Mr. Namiwa thinks he is the best person to ensure that there is merit in our hiring process, he is more than welcome to join the panel of the interviewers. Actually, we don’t care who will conduct the interviews because we do not have premeditated people to fill the positions,” he said.

Added the ADMARC Chairperson: “If Mr. Namiwa has the required qualifications, he can as well apply for a job at ADMARC. We will not take him as an activist, but just like any well-deserving job applicant.”

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