YAS backs ACB for halting dubious recruitment at MRA:  ‘Malawi is not DPP farm’

Mzuzu-based governance and human rights watchdog, Youth and Society (YAS), has commended the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for stopping the dubious recruitment of revenue and customs officers at Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) and called upon the tax collection body not to turn into a ‘camp-site’ for the governing Democratic Progressive Party ( DPP).

MRA wanted to recruit about 100 customs and revenue officers.

But ACB stopped the recruitment process after a whistle blower reported that jobs were being given suspiciously to some DPP operatives without any formal interviews.

The whistle blower complained to ACB that a list of DPP cadres and relatives of cabinet ministers was given to MRA Deputy Director General Rose Mbilizi in order for her to influence their recruitment.

This prompted the graft busting body to issue a restriction order stopping MRA from continuing with the exercise until after investigations.

And in a statement signed by its executive director Charles Kajoloweka, YAS describes as “cogent” the move by ACB to bar MRA from proceeding with the recruitment of customs and revenue officers.

“We are reliably informed that the recruitment of the officers has been controlled by the DPP which influenced for recruitment of the party’s cadres.

“Distressingly, most, if not all of the cadres who have so far been offered jobs, never attended any interviews at all.

“MRA has offered jobs to the ruling DPP cadets and children of politically connected figures, rendering the entire recruitment fraudulent, unlawful and dubious,” reads in part the statement.

Following widespread allegations that this is not the first time MRA is caught in these pro-DPP recruitments, YAS says these malpractices at the tax collector must be condemned in strongest terms possible because Malawi is not a DPP’s farm, but a country for all Malawians who deserve equal opportunities.

“This dubious recruitment does not only deprive deserving Malawians their right to equal and fair treatment and employment opportunity, but also departs from the spirit of the Constitution which guarantees equal protection of all individuals from all forms of discrimination.

“We are alive to the fact that the recruitment of political cadres into MRA has ulterior motives of entrenching organized corruption and impunity which is fatal for an institution that is already suffering from political capture, tribalism, and massive corruption,” further reads the statement.

It adds that ACB must expedite the investigation and act on its findings.

“The culprits must face the law. We also call upon the bureau to proactively curtail other similar recruitments in many public institutions including, but not limited to the Malawi Police Service, Malawi Defense Force, Immigration and Malawi Prisons that have equally been infiltrated by politicians.

“We further call on relevant government authorities and all Malawians of good will to support the ACB in pursuing this matter to its logical conclusion,” ends the statement.

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