Get well soon Paul Mphwiyo

What started as a normal Saturday morning for me was spoiled with a text message on WhatsApp from a Lilongwe-based friend who works for a commercial bank.

She wrote: “Wamva [have you heard] kuti [that] Paul Mphwiyo was shot? He’s alive but critical. This country! Eish!”

I breathed a sigh of relief on learning that good old Paul who, at 37, is the youngest budget director the Ministry of Finance has ever had, was still alive despite being shot thrice as he drove into the yard of his Area 43 residence in the capital city.

Paul, my thoughts and prayers are with you. I wish you a quick recovery as we still await security agents to bring to book your assailants who attempted to cut your life short with bullets. Through God’s healing ministry, you will be okay Paul and we will be able to share a joke or two one of these days.

Sources told Nation on Sunday that Paul, currently receiving medical treatment in South Africa, informally confided in his colleagues at the Ministry of Finance and close friends that he was getting death threats.

President Joyce Banda, speaking on Saturday at a gathering of Muslim women in Lunzu, Blantyre, said she knew who shot Paul and that the budget director was targeted because he was about to bust a corruption syndicate.

Briefly, during his two months in office as budget director, Paul religiously implemented public finance and economic management measures sources say have closed pilfering loopholes at Capital Hill. Among others, he cracked down on dubious government contracts and payouts that were a conduit for siphoning out billions of taxpayers’ money, but which the Ivy League trained economist in Paul has already cancelled.

Corruption is evil. It retards development. Corruption is a hard vice to root out because, usually, at the end of the day, both the ‘corrupter’ and the one being ‘corrupted’ are beneficiaries of a corruption deal.

Paul’s case invoked in me sad memories of the shooting on November 22 2000 of celebrated Mozambican investigative journalist Carlos Cardoso at the age of 48.

Cardoso’s exposés of growing and pervasive corruption brought him numerous death threats, but he was quoted by www.theguardian.co.uk that he felt safe because no one had tried to carry them out. Sadly, he was shot dead few weeks later.

What we learn from the two incidents of Paul and Cardoso is that the corrupt will go to any length, including killing, to protect their underworld empire. This is one key challenge towards achieving zero-tolerance to corruption.

Fighting and exposing corruption is a risk venture worldwide. People have been killed in cold blood for their cause. However, I never imagined that Malawians could get to such an extent of attempting to kill an innocent professional for simply carrying out his duties.

I mean, what was/is wrong with a budget director like Paul ensuring that public finance management measures are followed to the letter?

It is on record that almost one third of the National Budget goes down the drain or into people’s pockets through fraud and corruption. In that case, wasn’t it beautiful to allow the system save public funds and allow government finance most of the projects and activities as we strive to develop this nation?

Having previously worked in the Ministry of Finance as assistant budget director, deputy budget director, acting director of economic affairs and indeed acting director of financial sector development, Paul knows what he is talking about when he says there is need to seal loopholes.

At 37, Paul still has a bright future and ideas to offer in the line of duty serving his motherland. Wishing you a quick recovery Paul.

Lord, through Your healing ministry, we pray for Paul’s quick recovery. Malawi, which stinks with corruption, needs more Paul Mphwiyos to ensure that money squeezed from the few compliant taxpayers is used for its intended purposes such as buying drugs in hospitals, constructing roads and schoolblocks and, above all, developing this country.