89% feel Malawi on wrong path
Eighty-nine out of every 100 Malawians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction due to rising corruption and lack of accountability coupled wi th economic and political shortcomings, an Afrobarometer survey has established.
The inaugural Afrobarometer flagship report titled ‘African insights 2024: Democracy at risk, the people’s perspective’ also shows that apart from corruption, failure to adhere to the rule of law is also gradually whittling away at democratic support which has dropped to 58 percent from 78 percent in 2011.
The report released on Wednesday in Accra, Ghana, also shows that 80 percent of Malawians feel that ordinary people who commit crimes get punished while 66 percent hold the perception that corruption is increasing.
Reads the report in part: “Given the corrosive effects of official corruption on popular support for and satisfaction with democracy, the news from recent findings about corruption trends is not good. In the eyes of ordinary Africans, the problem is getting worse.
“But there are also critically important signs that in some respects democratic support may be weakening in the face of governments that avoid accountability, rig elections, and circumvent the popular will.”
The findings show that 37 percent of Malawians feel most or all officials in the Presidency are corrupt and that 69 percent feel an accountable government is more important than “getting things done”.
Further, the survey found that 59 percent of the respondents want the President to be accountable to Parliament while 76 percent want the President to always obey laws or courts.
States the report: “Citizen satisfaction with democracy continues to decline along with their confidence that their political systems are bound by norms of accountability and the rule of law.
“Preference for democracy dropped a remarkable 29 percentage points in South Africa and 23 points in Mali, 18 points in both Malawi and Tunisia and 17 points in Burkina Faso.”
Speaking during the presentation of the report in Ghana, University of Malawi associate professor of political science Boniface Dulani said there is growing demand for accountable governance.
“We have seen like in Kenya, where the youth are calling for greater accountability, an end to corruption and greater democratic norms,” said the Afrobarometer director of surveys.
Reacting to the findings, governance advocate Charles Kajoloweka said the fight against corruption remains rhetorical while poverty is worsening.
He urged government to demonstrate commitment in implementation of Malawi2063 which provides direction in growing the economy and creating wealth.
Said Kajoloweka: “Unfortunately we have had hypocrites running the affairs of the country and fighting corruption is not part of their agenda.
“In the absence of genuine commitment to uproot corruption, the prospects of economic transformation will continue to dim.”
In a separate interview, accountability pundit Willy Kambwandira said it was frustrating that grand corruption cases are being discontinued and those connected to the corridors of power can walk away freely.
“The Judiciary too is letting Malawians down. Malawians must rise up and demand accountability from the Presidency and anti-corruption agencies,” he said.
On his part, Human Rights Defenders Coalition chairperson Gift Trapence said governments in the democratic era have lacked political commitment to stamp out corruption.
In a separate interview, Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu conceded that the findings were indeed based on people’s perceptions, which are driven by needs, interests and expectations, among others.
He said: “Looking at the global economic hardships leading to needs not being fully met, people get angry and hardly appreciate efforts that are being made since they do not address the needs in full instantly.
“The commercialisation of agriculture, well regulated mining sector and a well-focused tourism approach will help us grow our economy exponentially which will ultimately lead to a change in the people’s perceptions.”
Kunkuyu, who i s the official government spokesperson, further said there is political will and a new approach in the fight against corruption which will bear fruits if well supported.
Malawi has scored poorly on corruption perception indices by several institutions, including Transparency International. In April this year, an Afrobarometer survey said 78 percent of Malawians wanted the media to report on government shortcomings and corruption.
The report said about 21 percent of the respondents stated that increased reporting on negative events, including corruption, harmed the image of the country. Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance and quality of life.
