Advertise positions for  parastatal boards, MP Lunguzi advises Malawi govt

Opposition law maker has advised the government to advertise for the positions of board members of parastatals in order to improve services in the statutory corporations.

Dedza east MP Juliana Lunguzi said this on Friday in parliament when she responded on behalf of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to a bill on the borrowing of money from European Union for Northern Region Water Board.

“We should not be choosing board members just because they have been nice to us, as a ruling party,” she said.

She said this syndrome of appointing political friends as board members is running down the performance of parastatals in the country.

“We should advertise for these posts so that we have right people in the boards,” she said. She said this would ensure that the board is able to give excellent policy direction for the smooth running of the boards.

Lunguzi  said some countries, including Botswana use the advertisement method of selecting board members.

Her remarks come barely days after President Peter Mutharika appointed board members for 19 statutory corporations.

The boards are mainly stuffed with the ruling party sympathisers, traditional leaders and religious leaders who show their affiliation to the DPP.