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EU tells police to resist corruption

Mussa: This will be looked into
Mussa: This will be looked into

The European Union (EU) has urged the Malawi Police Service (MPS) to avoid indulging in corrupt practices to retain public trust on matters of security and order.

EU head of delegation to Malawi, Alexander Baum made the appeal yesterday during the launch of the Malawi Police Anti-Corruption Policy in Lilongwe.

He said poor incentives such as low salaries, favouritism and poor housing are some of the contributing factors to corruption, but he advised police to put their service first.

“Sometimes there are factors that fuel corruption, but these should not be allowed to destroy the image of the police service whose duty is to protect citizens and bring order in the country. Corruption is a serious issue for many countries seeking to move forward so it must be avoided if we want to grow,” said Baum.

Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Uladi Mussa said government is aware of the challenges facing MPS.

“Police conditions are very pathetic beginning with salaries, housing units and other facilities and benefits. These will be looked into in future so that our officers should live a comfortable life and be vigilant to fight corruption,” he said.

Inspector General of Police Lot Dzonzi said police officers face many temptations of corruption due to the nature of their job but he urged them to take their service as a calling which demands dedication and honesty.

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One Comment

  1. Knowing the nature of the work of police and circumstance in which they operate, please do not just convict them with court cases for political and tribalistic purposes. Our police officers like all other civil servants in Malawi have been working faithfully despite low pay. But some leaders who think democracy is to please colonial masters have disintegrated the MPS by jailing the corps on flimsy and petty issues. This has made the security men fear an future mistreatment by withdrawing their faithful allegiance. Government needs to protect police not politicizing everything or following any human right ideology as if it is the rule of the Medes and Persians [unchallengeable]. Imagine a policeman being accused of firing to a thief who has a firearm and it firing to the police! if that thug is shot, the police office concerned is accused of murder. How do you think these guys should be protecting themselves? Take the 20 July senario, for example, we are eye witnesses, most people who got shot were not shot in the demonstrations but for hauling stone to the police in order to loot other peoples property but today we hear that the police officers are jailed. Imagine whole administration refusing police to carry guns during their duty as the mistake was done by PP in its maiden days. What happened? What if a fierce uprising took place right now who would be their to try to stop it? Police. How can these guys work in such rough and life risking environments full of violent and immoral people fail to shoot a gun in protection of themselves? When a policeman shoots a thief the so called CSOs will mouth big with violation of human right misinterpreted words. But when a policeman is shot by a thief, that is human right. Foolish reasoning. Police must be protected. Police must be motivated by love since we know their salaries are literally nothing. Police must be understood to be working in a different environment than a president, vice president, minister and all of us. They are a fence which meets with all sorts of difficulties in order to protect those inside. Can one tell a fence not to bar a thief from entering a compound because by so doing it is violating the rights of that thief? Stupid reasoning. We should not blame the police for any laxity and corruption practices, but government and politicians. Imagine a whole president splashing K50,000 to mere political supporters. Why not give a thousand to each police officers to buy ndio for that day? Why did she not give that to our police officers who. were manning the roadblock by that time? SHAME. Minister of Home Affairs do not lie to the whiteman that you will do anything to improve MPS situation. When shall you be mouthing big and uttering ugly words against the opposition and cashing huge allowances which would have been given to the police? Unless all these irregularities and leadership madness shall be sorted out, I bet, every civil servant in Malawi is increasingly becoming highly corrupt.

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