Africa-Press – Malawi. The fight against corruption is not a one-man show. It must be a collective effort to curb corruption. Unfortunately, the Director of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is working under hostile conditions with limited support from all sectors.
The President, Lazarus Chakwera
Much as we have heard that Ms. Martha Chizuma is guarded by the police 24 hours everyday, and that the ACB is being regularly funded, President Chakwera is adversely playing a psychological game on her.
In a certain state of nation address, President Chakwera spent most of his time reprimanding Martha Chizuma over a leaked phone conversation. He threatened her dismissal but later changed heart to forgive her.
Recently, President Chakwera was on it again. He vehemently condemned Chizuma in public on her substandard report and on the way she submitted the report to wrong offices.
President Chakwera is sending a strong message to Malawians to justify his impending desire of firing Ms. Martha Chizuma. If that happens, it will be a political suicidal decision.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr. Steven Kayuni
The office of DPP was supposed to work hand in hand with ACB to curb corruption. Unfortunately, this is not the case now as Dr. Steven Kayuni is on record to withhold his consent from prosecuting Sattar’s case citing that information he got from the ACB was not complete. However, Martha Chizuma can only disclose information that may not compromise further corruption investigations.
The Attorney General (AG), Mr. Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda
As the principal legal advisor of government, Mr. Thabo Nyirenda was supposed to provide competent legal framework to the ACB. Instead, he advocated for an erroneous amnesty to corruption suspects and thieves to surrender their stolen money back to government within two months. It took the Minister of Justice to bring sanity to the AG that such amnesty had no legal backing. It is a situation of a principal government legal advisor who is in dire need of a basic legal advice. Chakwera’s adminstration is very funny.
The Executive
President Chakwera promised Malawians that he would ensure that the ACB is fully independent. No bill so far has been drafted by the Minister of Justice to facilitate the independence of ACB. Instead, President Chakwera had the audacity to publicly request a report from ACB within 21 days. But what if the President himself is implicated in corruption scandal?
The Judiciary
Judges and the courts have no iota of shame to grant the corruption suspects a stay order from being investigated, interrogated and arrested by any crime investigations agency including the ACB. We now have the courts meddling with the operations of the crime investigations agency. This is a pathetic situation.
Human rights activists and civic society organisations (CSOs)
Have you wondered why most CSO’s, including the vocal Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) and Public Affairs Committee (PAC), are quiet when the Director of ACB is being bullied around? Some are beneficiaries of corruption. They can’t speak anything against corruption as they will be biting a finger that feeds them.
Malawians are witnesses to the Anti-chizuma demonstrations masterminded by some human rights activists and paid Sattar mercenaries. If Martha Chizuma is removed from office, the fight against corruption will be compromised. That was their aim.
Journalists and the media
Some journalists have stopped to publish anything against Zuneth Sattar. They have been captured by Sattar. Instead, they write anything to despise Ms. Chizuma, her reports and the National Crime Agency (NCA) UK report.
Women and feminists
Under the hostile environment Ms. Martha Chizuma is working, very few women and feminists have come in the open to support her. In fact, it is on record that most women have a tendency to pull each other down.
For instance, despite a larger proportion of women globally, it is on record that more men than women voted female candidates, Hillary Clinton in the USA and Dr. Joyce Banda here in Malawi. In the end, they both lost elections.
If all the women voted for their fellow woman candidate, a female candidate win is highly likely. Did you remember that the confirmation of Ms. Martha Chizuma was first rejected by parliamentary Public Appointment Committee chaired by a woman, Mrs. Joyce Chitsulo?
Then we have Malawi Lawyers women league. Despite all the chastisement Martha Chizuma is facing, have you seen the lawyers women league coming in the open rebuking this tendency? Where is the vocal Mrs. Seodi White? Are you there?
The National Assembly
Why can’t the National Assembly initiate a private bill that provides full independence of the ACB without interference by the Director of public prosecution, the Executive and the Judiciary?
The citizens
It is a known fact that most politicians take advantage of high illiteracy levels in Malawi. As a result most citizens support their leaders and parties not based on sound principles but on cosmetic preferences.
For instance, asked why they support Dr. Saulos Chilima, here are some answers: “ndimangomukonda basi!”, “Ndi afana oganiza boo!!!”, “He is handsome tisaname abale!!”, “Ife bola a UTM watilowetsa mboma”, “Bola DPP anaichotsa m’boma”.
Despite NCA report implicating Chilima; Martha Chizuma confirming it in her report; and President Chakwera stripping him of delegated duties thereafter, there are still political die-hards who feel that the Vice President is being politically persecuted. Amangwetu!!, of what interest does an independent NCA based in UK have in the political career of Dr. Saulos Chilima here in Malawi?
In summary, it is a pathetic situation that Ms. Martha Chizuma is facing antagonism from various sects of the society including President Chakwera, the DPP, the AG, the Judiciary, CSO’s and the citizens at large.
All I am saying is that let us join hands to work with ACB to stamp out corruption which is depriving us of many socio-economic opportunities. Let’s stop backing criminality and corruption. Assist ACB by reporting incidences of corruption. Fighting corruption requires multi-sectoral approach. It is not a one-man show.
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