Malawi youth MPs demand stop of  ‘Lhomwelisation’ in employment and  corruption

Members of  Youth Parliament have  expressed concern in a motion the high and egregious levels of corruption and nepotism in the President Peter Mutharika’s administration.

Speaking in a motion during the second session  of the Youtn Parliament opened on Tuesday in Lilongwe,  the  youth said noted the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government has  run the country poorly, pressing home the nepotism accusation.

Chikondi Maseko, the Ntcheu  West Constituency youth member of Parliament (MP) moved a motion  and  high levels of corruption has left many youth in Malawi jobless.

He also accused Mutharika’s administration of favouring his Lhomwe tribe, saying the youth are  concerned by the “Lhomwelisation” of the public service and public appointments.

“Youth are finding it difficult to get employment nowdays  just because they have no relatives in [DPP] government,” she said.

“Nepotism is the practice when offering employment to people in government departments. This is corruption and it needs to stop!,”

The motion was seconded by Lilongwe North East  youth MP Simeon Katunga backing that  top Lhomwe Belt appointments are the order of the day in the country.

He said: “People continue to engange in corruption because thet are connected to big people in government, hence, they know they will go unpunished.”

Katunga said the only way to deal with corruption is by ensuring that those involved are “punished”.

The youth MPs who spoke to Nyasa Times on the sidelines of the meeting  queried that all key positions in government are being held by people from the Lhomwe Belt—where Mutharika also comes from. The trend, they added, is diluting the whole essence of national meritocracy— doing things on merit.

Speaker of Yout Parliament, Mary Namaya said the y will also discuss issues to do with the environment.

“Mining has the potential of bringing revenue but most youths are not involved  that much so we want the youth to be involved,” she said.

Among other issues to be discussed during the session of youth Parliament  is the controversial education quota system  of selecting students to public universities, provision of safe water, child labour and issues of violence against youth.

Parliament has said giving the youth a chance to discuss issues affecting them would help in solving some of the problems they face. The youth parliament draws representatives from all the 193 constituencies of the country.