Africa-Press – Malawi. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has said that anyone who has stolen government money will not be forgiven or given amnesty.
DPP spokesperson Shadreck Namalomba made the remarks after some civil society groups suggested that giving looters a chance to return stolen money without punishment could help Malawi heal and move forward.
But Namalomba strongly rejected the idea.
“Allowing thieves to simply pay back money without punishment is wrong. It only encourages more stealing. Anyone who steals must face the law,” he said.
His comments came after the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiative (Cdedi) asked President-elect Peter Mutharika to allow a 30-day grace period for those who stole public funds to return the money and property, both in Malawi and abroad, without facing court action.
Cdedi Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa said such an amnesty could help Malawi recover stolen wealth faster. He also proposed that government should give people keeping large amounts of cash outside banks a 60-day deadline to deposit the money into commercial banks, or else the cash would become useless.
Namiwa further demanded that all mining contracts signed under the previous administration be reviewed, saying many of them were shady deals that only benefited a few individuals instead of ordinary Malawians.
He also called for the creation of a high-level debt relief taskforce to lobby international lenders to cancel Malawi’s debts, arguing that the country is “technically bankrupt” because of excessive borrowing.
While Cdedi believes amnesty could help, the DPP insists looters must face prosecution to ensure transparency, accountability, and justice.
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