By Brenda Kayo:
The African Institute for Development Policy (Afidep) has warned that parliamentary public hearings risk losing credibility if they fail to translate citizens’ concerns into concrete action and accountability.
Speaking during an Open Parliament engagement in Lilongwe Wednesday, Afidep Executive Director Eliya Zulu said although public participation in parliamentary processes has improved in recent years, transparency alone was not enough unless it led to meaningful outcomes.
Zulu said Parliament had made significant strides in opening its doors to citizens through public hearings and committee inquiries, but stressed that the effectiveness of those processes should be judged by the actions that follow.
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“The value of public hearings is not in the discussions they generate but in the action that follows. If people continue to raise concerns and Parliament does not ensure accountability, these engagements will gradually lose their meaning,” Zulu said.
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He cited recent parliamentary investigations, including inquiries into the Amaryllis Hotel controversy and the Chikangawa plane crash, saying the level of public interest in such proceedings reflected growing confidence in Parliament’s oversight role.
However, he said transparency without decisive follow-up could weaken public trust in democratic institutions, particularly where allegations of mismanagement or abuse of public resources remain unresolved.
“Openness must be accompanied by accountability. Citizens need to see that their voices influence decisions and that those responsible for wrongdoing are held accountable. Otherwise, public confidence in Parliament will diminish,” he said.
He further disclosed that findings from Afidep’s Africa Integrity Indicators Project awarded Malawi 50 out of 100 for citizens’ practical access to parliamentary information and legislative processes, indicating that more reforms were needed to strengthen openness and public participation.
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First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Victor Musowa acknowledged that Parliament had made progress in bringing its work closer to citizens through outreach programmes conducted in communities across the country.
He cited engagements held at Dedza Stadium in Dedza District, Likuni, Malingunde and other areas in Lilongwe as examples of Parliament’s efforts to connect with the public.
“Parliament has gone to the people but we recognise that there is still room for improvement. One of the issues raised is the need to communicate parliamentary proceedings in Chichewa so that more Malawians can understand what is being debated,” Musowa said.
Open House Project Coordinator Mottatsi Komote also said Malawi still faced significant challenges in making Parliament fully open and participatory.
“We still have a long way to go in ensuring that citizens are not only informed but are also actively involved in shaping parliamentary decisions,” he said.
The engagement was held under the theme ‘The Role of Open Parliament in Bridging the Gap Between the Malawian Legislature and Citizens’.
