By Wezzie Gausi:
The Public Appointments Committee of Parliament (Pac) Sunday rejected two members of the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) Board of Directors and pended the approval of its chairperson Reckford Kampanje.
Sources within the committee confided in The Daily Times Sunday that, during a meeting held Sunday, the committee rejected the confirmation of Innocencia Chirombo and Rodrick Chingota.
Ironically, Chirombo was the only member of the old Mera Board that the Office retained when news about the newly reconstituted board was announced on Thursday. of the President and Cabinet
In the old Mera board, Chirombo served as vice chairperson, a position she maintained in the new board.
The sources said the confirmation of Kampanje had been pended on the grounds that he also sits on the board of National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma).
Kampanje sits on Nocma Board, which is chaired by Secretary to the President and Cabinet (OPC) Zangazanga Chikhosi, other members being Innocencia Ottober, Neil Nyirongo, Esther Chioko and Feston Zambezi.
Pac has, however, confirmed the appointment of Charles Kambauwa and Ulemu Kambwiri.
When contacted Sunday, Pac Chairperson Joyce Chitsulo said they could not divulge information on the matter.
She said the committee had made its decision and the nation should wait to hear from the appointing authorities.
“It is true that members of the committee met but I am not at liberty to give out information on what transpired,” Chitsulo said.
On March 24 2022, President Lazarus Chakwera appointed new Mera board members.
Chakwera appointed Reckford Kampanje as chairperson and Chirombo as vice.
He also appointed Lameck Nchembe, Charles Kambauwa, and Ulemu Kambwiri as members of the board.
On Friday, the OPC replaced the name of Nchembe with that of Chingota.
Mera is a corporate body established under the Energy Regulatory Act No. 20 of 2004 as the energy sector-wide regulator.
Its mandate is to regulate the energy sector in Malawi in a fair, transparent, efficient and cost-effective manner for the benefit of consumers and operators.
