CSOs, MPs fight for Chizuma
Pressure is mounting on President Lazarus Chakwera to reverse the interdiction of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma and civil society organisations (CSOs) have given him a February 6 deadline or he will face protests.
On the other hand, some members of Parliament (MPs) on Thursday took to the social media to protest and show solidarity with Chizuma while Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament chaiperson Peter Dimba resigned from his position in the committee.
In their joint statement on Thursday, 10 CSOs said they had noted with concern Chizuma’s interdiction pending her criminal defamation case as communicated by Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba on Janaury 31 2023.
The CSOs have since asked the President to order the SPC to immediately withdraw the interdiction and “commit to provide unwavering support to the office [of ACB director general] in pursuit of the fight against corruption”.
Reads the CSOs’ statement: “The newly appointed Director of Public Prosecutions should immediately review the Chizuma file and inform Malawians on the direction that his office intends to take not later than 10th February 2023.
“Parliament as a legislative body through its relevant standing committees should, with speed, mobilise itself and engage the President and Minister of Justice in defence of the rule of law.
“All Malawians must stand up to defend democracy, justice and the rule of law by firmly holding duty bearers to account.”
The CSOs include Human Rights Defenders Coalition, Youth and Society, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, National Advocacy Platform, NGO Gender Coordination Network and Women’s Manifesto Movement.
The CSOs have warned that should the President and government fail to formally withdraw the interdiction they “will be compelled to mobilise Malawians across the divide to stand up for justice and the rule of law through demonstrations and other civil means”.
On the other hand, Dimba, who is Lilongwe South legislator (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) refused to take questions, but in his resignation letter to Speaker Catherine Gotani Hara, he said recent developments were frustrating his committee’s oversight role.
Reads the letter: “It has, however, recently become abundantly clear that despite the gains we have registered over the period of my chairmanship, our efforts to provide checks and balances to the excesses of the Executive particularly in the fight against corruption have proved futile and as a leader, I take full responsibility for failing Malawians in this regard.”
Rumphi West legislator Yona Dadawiza Mkandawire, a member of the same committee, said he had asked the Speaker to move him to opposition benches in protest over what he called “failure by the Executive to walk the talk in the fight against corruption”.
He said: “I have learnt over time through my role in the legal committee that the Executive is not sincere on fighting corruption.
“I hate corruption, and I cannot keep on associating myself with people who do what I hate. So, I will be switching sides to the opposition benches.”
But MCP spokesperson the Reverend Maurice Munthali said they will not be interfering with parliamentary matters or comment on Chizuma’s issue because it is in court.
“Members of Parliament have their own norms and procedures of doing things. So, we cannot interfere with that. Further, as a party, we do not want to be talking about the Chizuma issue because the matter is in court,” he said.
Chizuma is scheduled to take plea at the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court on February 8 2023 under criminal case number 236 of 2023 on two counts of making use of speech to lower the authority of a person.
