Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) has requested President Peter Mutharika to dissolve the Admarc board for failing to discipline its Chief Executive Officer Foster Mulumbe, whose conduct was faulted by the presidential commission of inquiry probing the maize deal.
Among its findings, the commission observed that the conduct of Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) officials in signing and executing the Zambia Cooperative Federation contract amounted to fraud and exposed the corporation and the government to civil litigation.
It further concluded that “Admarc was grossly negligent in failing to negotiate a lower contract price for the purchase and delivery of maize under the ZCF contract”.
In a statement released on Friday, HRCC Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba notes that failure by the board to execute recommendations by the commission of inquiry that was instituted by Mutharika is bringing the authority of the president into disrepute.
The civil society grouping finds the inaction by Admarc board strange and suspicious and believes disbanding the board would be a sensible move by Mutharika Mulumbe is back in office after being sent on forced leave in January. He returned to office early this month.
Mkwezalamba wonders why such would be the case when another culprit, George Chaponda, was relieved of his duties as Minister of Agriculture.
Mkwezalamba also cites the recent strike by some Admarc staff in Blantyre as a clear sign that employees at the state grain marketer are not comfortable to work with Mulumbe and his management team.
“The delay by the board to act on Mulumbe is in a way promoting corruption and impunity which has no place in democratic Malawi, says Mkwezalamba.
HRCC also claims that it has received a reports that the board is failing to meet due to lack of funds and suspects that Mulumbe may be behind the freeze on funding the meeting.
But, in an earlier interview, Admarc Board Chair James Masumbu said the board has delayed to meet because it was planning to hold a budget meeting silmutaneously with the meeting that would decide the fate of Mulumbe.
According to Mkwezalamaba, Malawians deserve better and the current Admarc board has failed them, hence the need for a new board that will not compromise its independence.
In reaction to HRCC’s calls, government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi accused the committee of jumping the gun. He said the committee would have enquired from the board to understand why is it taking time to come up with a decision on the fate of senior members involved in the Zambia maize saga.
“The name of the committee contains the word consultative, which clearly mandates the body to make consultations before making any remarks on issues of national interest.
They could have made an effort to meet the board before pressing the president to dissolve it. “We cannot build the country by just making demands [on issues] such as arrests and dismissals. We should inculcate the spirit of contact and dialogue,” Dausi charged.
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