The University of Malawi law professor Garton Kamchezera says State House’s attempt to clarify the role of Secretary to President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba in the interdiction of Anti-Corruption Bureau chief Martha Chizuma was a futile attempt to cleverly reclaim public trust.
During a State House briefing yesterday at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe, Director of Communication Sean Kampondeni claimed that President Lazarus Chakwera had not been informed of Chizuma’s suspension that was based on the criminal charges emanating from a leaked audio conversation.
Kampondeni also said that Zamba the SPC acted in her capacity as head of public service.
Kampondeni was responding to a question on whether President Chakwera delegated Zamba to effect the interdiction.
However, speaking to a local press, Kamchezera laughed off Kampondeni’s justification, saying the Constitution does not give Zamba such powers.
“The constitution has vested such powers (to interdict head of ACB) in the President. Zamba’s role is to operate at directional level. They are just trying to be too clever for nothing without realizing that they are eroding public trust further by so doing,” he said.
He said he would give the President the benefit of the doubt that he might have been misled in the matter by his advisers, a scenario that could also imply some people were assuming the powers of the President.
