By Wezzie Gausi & Deborah Madeya
Things are not well at the Non-Governmental Organisations Regulatory Authority (Ngora), as four officers have been suspended over what one of the officers has described as “witch-hunting”.
However, Ngora Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Edward Chileka Banda maintained that the suspension has been effected because the officers allegedly defied the government ban on workshops conducted outside duty stations.
Chileka Banda said they suspect that the officers carried out activities without approval from the controlling officer or the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) as per procedure.
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“The four officers are Linda Kunje, Director of Corporate Services; Winston Harawa, Finance Manager; Makaiko Daile, HR [Human Resources] Officer; and Zebab Chodzi, Administrative Assistant,” he said.
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However, one of the officers told The Daily Times in a telephone interview that what the authority has done is “merely witch-hunting, considering that what the bosses are saying is far from the truth. The truth shall set me free”.
Last year, OPC issued a statement restricting travel or conducting meetings outside duty stations as a measure of controlling expenditure.
Chileka Banda said it is in line with the OPC’s restrictions that they have acted on the issue.
“The suspended four officers will be waiting for a disciplinary hearing following an inquiry in which they were found to have conducted activities and made payments without approval from the CEO.
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“The officers were also found to have contravened the government ban against meetings and workshops from being conducted [outside the] duty station without approval, as the OPC secular [indicates],” he said.
Meanwhile, Centre for Social Accountability And Transparency Executive Director Willy Kambwandira has said they would wait for the outcome of the issue.
“Otherwise, Ngora has done well by taking administrative action to give the officers a chance to explain their side. This is the way to go,” he said.
