Catholic bishops query Chakwera’s authority

Catholic bishops have said President Lazarus Chakwera’s lack of knowledge about Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma’s arrest raises questions on who is in control of affairs of the country.

In a statement released yesterday under the banner of Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) and signed by bishops from all the seven dioceses, the bishops wondered how the President could not be aware of the arrest warrant of the important public officer.

Reads the statement: “We cannot, but join many Malawians who in their disbelief are wondering who is really in-charge of affairs of this country. It baffles us that all this operation involving the arrest of a high-profile official in the government and involving a legitimate organ of the State like the Police was happening without the people that ordinarily would be expected to know.

“Just like every Malawian, our fear is who is behind this then that he/she can command our security agents to act behind the back of our leaders?”

The bishops also expressed their frustrations and serious concerns over the peculiar circumstances surrounding Chizuma’s arrest on Tuesday.

State the bishops: “The recent development is a wakeup call for the President and government to do due diligence and create a legacy in the fight against corruption.

“Much as we applaud the government for assuring Malawians that it is on top of the matter, yet the question that will bother the minds of Malawians remains: is this not only a cosmetic way of assuring the nation that the government is in control? And if this is allowed to happen this way, how secure are we as citizens and as a nation?”

ECM has since called for investigation and reflection on Chizuma arrest saga if the nation is to win the battle against corruption.

In its Pastoral Statement on October 10 2022, titled ‘A Call to Hearken to the Cry of Poor Malawians’ ECM expressed concern that the way the fight against corruption is being waged is posing more questions than answers.

Minister of Information and Digitisation Gospel Kazako said in a written response yesterday that ECM is justified to wonder and get surprised that the government machinery was not aware of Chizuma’s arrest.

He said the action by the police reflected abuse of the independence granted by the Tonse Alliance administration.

Kazako, who is the official government spokesperson, said: “It has always been the expectation of the nation that government must control the police services and know everything that they are doing.

“We embarked on a civilised different way of offering independence to the police. Unfortunately, our being civilised is being abused. So, we are not surprised with what the Catholic bishops are asking and wondering about.

“We are in firm control of issues in this country as a government.”

Pronouncements by government officials last week that the President did not know about Chizuma’s arrest prompted several stakeholders to wonder who is in control.

In interviews and statements published in The Nation edition of December 9 2022 under the headline ‘Who is in control?’ political pundits, lawyers, civil society, rights and religious groups as well as opposition political parties wondered how the President, Cabinet ministers and the Attorney General would not be aware that police were headed for the graft-busting agency’s head.

Police arrested Chizuma on Tuesday following a complaint lodged by now suspended DPP Steven Kayuni in his personal capacity. The DPP alleged he was injured by allegations made by Chizuma in a leaked audio clip in January this year.

The President has since instituted a commission of inquiry into the controversial arrest of Chizuma within 14 days.