Corruption derails food security efforts—report
Mzuzu University (Mzuni) has highlighted corruption by some public officers and unlawful influence as some factors frustrating Malawi Defence Force (MDF) efforts to ensure food security in the country.
In the drive, MDF mounts roadblocks, seals borders to control careless distribution and smuggling of national produce, confiscates chattels used for moving crops and also provides back up to police.

But it a paper titled ‘Assessing the military upholding of the Constitution in democracy to promote national food security in Malawi’, Mzuni Department of AgriSciences noted that allowing increased military involvement in non-traditional missions erodes the authority of institutions mandated with internal security.
Co-authored by former MDF Commander General Vincent Nundwe (retired), former Moyale Barracks commanding officer Thoko Chazema, army officials Mavuto Tembo, Hope Ngilazi, David Kumwenda and historian Chrispin Mphande, among others, the report noted that in January 2023, MDF and police intercepted 25 truckloads of maize carrying 575 metric tonnes (MT) heading for Tanzania amid an export ban.
Reads the paper: “The challenge is that some of the concerned departments flouted procedures such as giving fake documentations because of professional mediocrity because of corruption.
“Politicians wanted to intervene without lawful authority to direct planning of such [maize export] activities.”
The authors further observe that some junior military officials get carried away in non-traditional missions and get entangled in corrupt behaviours.
At the height of smuggling of maize to Tanzania in 2023, the then minister of Trade and Industry Mark Katsonga Phiri said owners of impounded trucks and maize were allegedly connected to politicians.