Social commentator Onjezani Kenani has applauded President Lazarus Chakwera for ordering the restructuring of the Civil Service in order to prevent more looting of public funds.
Kenani, who is leading a fundraising drive that has raised over K170 million for Covid-19 fight and has been commended for transparency and accountability, said the theft of public funds cannot be allowed to continue.
“I would like to commend the President tonight for stating his government’s intention to restructure the civil service. I have always been of the opinion that reform that does not radically restructure the civil service is a waste of everyone’s time. It’s great that the President has tasked his Vice – the right man for the job – to take lead on this. We cannot let the criminal conduct of stealing public funds go on unabated,” he posted on Facebook.
There are reports that a huge chunk of K6.2 billion in public funds meant for Covid-19 fight was used for allowances instead of procurement of necessary medical equipment in the fight against the pandemic.
On Sunday, Chakwera said there is a rot in the public service which has been entrenched in three categorical systems of allowances, procurement and employment contracts. He added that civil servants use these systems to loot public funds with impunity
“The Government system has been rigged with bad or old laws, procedures, policies, and contracts that are cleverly designed to not only facilitate waste abuse and theft, but to also protect those who engage in these acts from being fired or prosecuted,” he said.
Chakwera then directed Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima to lead a review of the three systems and submit recommendations to him in three months’ time.
