Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri has warned that Malawi is gripped by moral decay, with individuals openly donating stolen money to churches without conscience or accountability.
Phiri made the remarks in an interview on Friday at St. Michael and All Angels Church in Blantyre on the sdelines of the opening of the Association of Blantyre Synod Retired Personnel’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). He said the country needs “healing,” and the church must reclaim its role as an anchor of integrity.
He said the church is an important anchor in the healing process, while simultaneously fostering integrity among the masses.
Phiri said the church needs to reclaim its relevance and rightful role in such regard.
“We seem to have lost direction somewhere. Integrity in Malawi is a problem and corruption has taken centre stage. There is a total moral decay,” he said.
“If we can only create a Malawi that has integrity, corrupt-free and where people value others, then the country will be a better place to be and those that can lead us into that are these reverends.”
Phiri said the church has more influence than politicians, citing previous research which shows that politicians are less trusted than church leaders.
He referred to a 2024 Institute of Public Opinion and Research (Ipor) survey, whose findings showed that a majority of Malawians trust religious and traditional leaders more than elected ones, including the president, members of Parliament and ward councillors.
Phiri said as such, church leaders, including those that retired from church work, should be the architects of fostering integrity and nurturing patriotic Malawians, emphasising that it is the basis of developing the country.
In his message to the retired church personnel prior to the interview, the minister said the church is an important institution in society and it should play its role beyond ordinary teaching of the word God.
Among some of its important roles the church should play, according to Phiri, is the teaching of entrepreneurship, especially among children so that they are raised with a business mindset of earning money, but in a legit manner, with integrity and good morals, aside from embracing the word of God.
He said: “The church teaches us right from our tender age when we are young. They [church leaders] should not only teach us the word of God, but they should also teach us values that will help us survive in this world.”
In a separate interview, Association of Blantyre Synod Retired Personnel chairperson the Reverend MacDonald Kadawati said Phiri’s sentiments resonated with what the church has been preaching to Malawians.
He said the church will always play an important role in guiding society.
Kadawati said the church and government have always been partners in almost all sectors.
He said the partnership has helped Malawi achieve various gains in such respective sectors.
Kadawati further said as retired church leaders, they are ready to support both their churches and government to ensure there is integrity in society and that development progresses in a transparent manner.
The AGM was held under the theme: ‘Being Fruitful in Every Season’, taken from Psalms 92 verse 14, which Kadawati said it signifies honesty and resilience throughout all seasons, regardless of numerous challenges.
