A group of concerned citizens, led by Edwards Kambanje and Oliver Nakoma, has written to President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, demanding the immediate dismissal of Education Minister Madalitso Kambauwa and Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) CEO Prof. Dorothy Nampota over the missing map in the Geography Paper I exam.
The citizens, who expressed deep disappointment and concern over the oversight, described the error as “a significant blunder” that reflects a lack of seriousness and attention to duty within MANEB.
The missing map, which was meant to be used for question 1, constituted 35 marks out of a total of 110 marks.
MANEB has since launched an investigation into the incident and assured stakeholders that administrative measures will be taken during marking and subsequent processes.
However, the concerned citizens are not satisfied with the response and are demanding the firing of the Education Minister and MANEB CEO.
“We demand that Your Excellency, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, fire the Minister of Education Hon. Madalitso Kambauwa and Prof. Dorothy Nampota MANEB Chief Executive Officer for failing to manage and administrate examination processes,” the letter reads.
The citizens’ move comes amid widespread criticism of MANEB’s handling of the exams.
“Such negligence cannot be tolerated, and we expect MANEB to uphold the highest standards in examination administration,” said Edwards Kambanje, one of the concerned citizens.
The incident has sparked heated debate in Malawi, with many calling for greater accountability in the education sector.
President Chakwera’s response to the citizens’ demand remains awaited.
