Regional heads of anti-corruption agencies have asked Southern African Development Community (Sadc) leaders for protection from political and criminal retaliation by their respective governments.
They warned during the opening of the Sadc Heads of Anti-corruption Agencies Conference in Lilongwe yesterday that failure to protect the agencies compromises efforts to combat corruption and illicit financial flows that continue to drain billions from African economies.
Delivering an opening address, Sadc Anti-Corruption Committee chairperson Gabriel Chembezi said anti-graft agency leaders are often subjected to attacks and pressure because of the nature of their work.
He said political and criminal syndicates frequently target anti-corruption chiefs to weaken institutions and allow corruption to flourish.
“This is what we call corruption pushback because corruption pushes back,” said Chembezi, who is Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) acting director general.
He described the work of anti-corruption agencies and their leaders as difficult and deserving of support and recognition.
Stated Chembezi: “The first line of support should be the government. That is my message, not only for me but also for my fellow [Sadc] heads of anti-corruption agencies.”
While urging anti-corruption agencies to remain steadfast in their work despite resistance, he said governments must ensure that serving as head of an anti-corruption agency does not become a career-ending sacrifice.
Chembezi also lamented persistent procurement-related corruption, saying it continues to waste critical public resources.
In his opening remarks, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango said corruption and illicit financial flows remain major obstacles to development in Malawi and across the Sadc region.
He said the two vices divert scarce resources from critical public services, weaken institutions and undermine public confidence in government.
“The fight against corruption and illicit financial flows is not merely a legal obligation but a development imperative,” said Mhango, adding that the Malawi Government remains committed to supporting regional and national efforts aimed at promoting good governance, accountability, transparency and the rule of law.
In an interview on the sidelines of the conference, Mhango pledged government support for the ACB and its leadership.
He said: “I know in the past there have been incidents where senior [ACB] officers have been harassed and ill-treated. Let me assure the nation that under the leadership of His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, we will give due respect and support to the Anti-Corruption Bureau here in Malawi and to its leadership.”
In an interview yesterday, National Anti-Corruption Alliance chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa echoed Chembezi’s concerns, citing former ACB director general Martha Chizuma as one of anti-corruption leaders who faced victimisation, including arrest.
For his part, Nyika Institute executive director Moses Mkandawire, a governance expert, said political will is critical to protecting the independence of both the ACB and its leadership.
During former president Bingu wa Mutharika’s first term between 2004 and 2009, the then ACB director Gustave Kaliwo landed in trouble for summoning former president Bakili Muluzi without Bingu’s knowledge.
According to a recent Global Financial Integrity report, between 2013 and 2022 Malawi lost an average of $626 million (about K1.1 trillion) annually through illicit financial flows, translating to $6.26 billion (about K10.95 trillion) over the decade.
