ESCOM’s Controversial Job Advertisement Sparks Outrage

ESCOM’s recent job advertisement for the Chief Public Relations Officer position has ignited a wave of criticism due to its contentious requirement that applicants must be members of the Public Relations Society of Malawi (PRSM).

Social governance expert Francis Liyati has vehemently criticized ESCOM’s decision, questioning the rationale behind limiting applications to PRSM members, an organization not established by an act of Parliament.

“It’s baffling that ESCOM is excluding other qualified candidates from applying for this position. PRSM is merely a network of PR professionals from various institutions and lacks the legal standing of bodies like the Malawi Law Society,” Liyati stated.

He argued that this requirement undermines equal job opportunities for all Malawians and called on ESCOM to seriously reconsider its stance.

Liyati further highlighted the disparity between PRSM and constitutionally recognized organizations such as the Malawi Law Society, suggesting that ESCOM’s decision is unjustified and potentially discriminatory.

“Year in year out, thousands are graduating from the college increasing the number of job seekers on the market and for a Parastatal organization like ESCOM to bring in such discriminatory conditions to job applicants is just very unfortunate,” he added.

In response, ESCOM’s Public Relations Officer, Ketty Chingota, defended the requirement in an interview with local media.

While acknowledging PRSM’s non-legislative status, Chingota maintained that ESCOM values PRSM membership for the role.