Dr Tapiwa Uchizi Nyasulu
Dr. Tapiwa Uchizi Nyasulu is the regional coordinator for Transparency International (TI) Southern Africa based at TI Secretariat in Berlin Germany. She is involved in the fight against corruption in five countries, including Malawi. Paida Mpaso speaks with her.
Tell me about yourself?
I come from Kayuni Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Kyungu in Karonga. I was born in August 1978. I grew up at Khwawa, Uliwa and Lupembe. My mother, Bridget Kumchenga is a primary school teacher and we moved a lot. I spent most of my primary school days at Lupembe with my late grandmother until I was selected to Lilongwe Girls Secondary School in 1992.
Tell me about your education
In 1996, I enrolled for a nursing certificate programme at Zomba School of Nursing while waiting for university entrance exams. I was not selected to join the university that year due to wrong choices but continued with nursing school. I attempted the entrance exams again and was successful. In 1998 I joined the University of Malawi to pursue a Bachelor of Arts humanities degree and graduated in 2002. In 2006 I got a scholarship from the World Council of Churches based in Geneva, Switzerland to pursue a master’s degree in politics and development studies at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, the Netherlands.
I was later awarded a scholarship by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for a doctorate degree in 2008 at the University of Cologne through the Centre for Development Research (ZEF) of the University of Bonn in Germany. I finished in 2012.
Describe your upbringing?
I was raised by a single mother. Life was not easy without a father figure to provide for us and look up to. My mother and my late grandmother were strong and courageous. They raised me into the woman I am today. I used to work in people’ fields to earn money for school materials. I cherish moments spent with my grandmother as she taught me survival skills.
How many where you in your family?
We are four children. I am the first-born and I have two brothers; Abwino and Anderson and a sister, Ruth.
How did you rise through the ranks?
This is my first position since joining the organisation in September 2012. I believe there will be opportunities to rise through the ranks given time and determination. So far it has been a good ride!
What challenges moulded you?
The main challenge was poverty. We struggled to survive. Knowing and believing that it is only through education that one could get out of poverty, I worked hard in school to attain higher education.
What have been your professional experiences?
I have had support from both male and female workmates. I still remember my college days being mocked for “taking a lesser” course. What I told them was people have different choices and career paths. My point is to never be influenced by other people’s negativity or succumb to their myopic thinking. Life turns out differently.
What is your previous employment?
I worked as a programme officer with the Malawi-German Programme for Democracy and Decentralisation by GTZ since 2003. They were my first employer after. I resigned in 2006 to take up a position with the Danish Association for International Cooperation in Zambia as a decentralisation policy implementation plan advisor. While doing my one year doctorate research work in Ghana in 2009, I lectured at the University of Applied Management in Accra.
In 2011, I moved to Geneva, Switzerland where I worked as a consultant with the International Labour Organization (ILO) on local economic recovery programme in post conflict countries. My work in Ghana and Switzerland were during my doctorate studies.
How many people are under you?
I do not have a line management role within the TI Secretariat in Germany. I coordinate capacity development initiatives which involve staff members in the five countries where TI is present in southern Africa.
Corruption still remains a challenge in Southern Africa. What strategies have you adopted?
We believe to end poverty, corruption must stop. The marginalised and poor remain the most vulnerable to corruption when public money is lost or stolen. They pay the price for widespread bribery in the public services they depend on. Governments should do more to identify corruption risks in basic services and to protect their citizens.
We have called for an anti-corruption goal to help the poor. This will increase the participation of people in decision making in order to make public spending and budgets more transparent. In addition, we wish to make law enforcers and public services answerable to ordinary people. These are the sort of practices characteristic of countries at the top of TI’s Corruption Perception Index, such as the Scandinavian countries. Since last year, we have been pushing for efforts to tackle this. Both the United Nations (UN) secretary general’s report in August and the UN high level panel’s recommendations in May on the future of development called for a governance goal. A good governance goal would give people more chances to monitor public services and hold to account public workers who break the rules. Our surveys show that a majority of people in least developed countries think ordinary people can make a difference and are willing to get involved.
How does TI work in Malawi?
TI has been working with the Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) and Africa Institute for Cooperate Citizenshi to establish a Malawi TI chapter through the national Integrity Platform. With funding from the Department for International Development (DfID), the partnership with African Institute of Citizen Cooperation (AICC) and Mejn, we managed to conduct the National Integrity System (NIS) assessment in the country, which was launched in November 2012. The NIS project seeks to strengthen social accountability system for the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Systems (NACS-NIS) and the NACS. It is also to assess stakeholders’ preparedness in implementing the systems.
Are you winning the battle?
It has become virtually impossible to pick up a newspaper anywhere in the world without reading some headline highlighting alleged corruption. These can range from the use of nepotism in awarding scholarships, the illegitimate sale of land to government cronies, the impunity of well-connected businesspeople and senior public officials. That does not mean that we are not winning the battle because 20 years ago, people could not discuss corruption and it was never the agenda of many governments in the world, especially in Africa.
How are countries tackling corruption?
With greater awareness and pressure exerted on governments, you hear reports on corruption, signifying that we are winning the battle though I must admit, more needs to be done. We try to stop corruption by providing practical tools and raising awareness. Anti-corruption work involves motivating people to stand up to corruption. We promote freedom of information laws, whistleblower protection and greater implementation of all anti-corruption conventions.
We believe corruption must be prevented and adjudicated. Robust justice systems are key to ending impunity for crimes of corruption. Corruption is a multifaceted phenomenon assuming different shades, forms, dimensions, and dynamics. Therefore, effectively addressing it requires a holistic, innovative and strategic approach. To this end, we will continue to focus on advocacy based research, knowledge production, documentation and dissemination. We shall continue to promote information sharing, networking and peer-learning amongst key anticorruption stakeholders and institutions as well as provide technical support, training and capacity development to our chapters, partners. Above all, we shall continue to promote policy dialogue, media engagement and policy advocacy
What are some of the challenges that you face in fighting corruption?
They include the complexity of corruption acts, their forms and manifestations. This makes it difficult to evidence and therefore impedes our ability as anti-corruption activists to take action. Lack of political will to effectively prevent and fight corruption by decision-makers is an equally major challenge.
What drives you?
Seeing an increasing number of citizens from various groups in the countries where we work fight corruption and take action pleases me because it is an indication of the impact of our work. Being able to support civil society organisations at the coalface of the fight against corruption and contribute to the success of their work is also fulfilling for me. Gender wise, I am satisfied when women are there for each other to provide moral support and mentorship.
What is your advice to women?
They should heed valuable advice. I would encourage them to work hard to be well informed and make meaningful contribution. When an opportunity arises, seize it. I often find women less confident in expressing a point of view, and more willing to accept what those around them say. Men seldom suffer the same anxiety.
