Govt defensive on corruption fight
Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo says the Tonse Alliance administration is committed to fighting corruption amid growing perceptions that graft is worsening.
He said this in Lilongwe on Wednesday during a press briefing which was also attended by Minister of Information and Digitisation Gospel Kazako.
Mvalo said although the Tonse-led government has faced numerous claims connected to corruption, the leadership is committed to fighting the vice.
He said: “The President is serious about fighting corruption. That is why this leadership has continued to increase the ACB [Anti-Corruption Bureau] budget.
“The image of the country has been ruined in the eyes of the international community because of biased reporting on corruption by the local media.”
But in an interview on Wednesday, Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi Chapter chairperson Teresa Ndanga said no story on corruption has been refuted by the concerned parties.
She said: “None of the stories on corruption is on record to have been refuted.
“In fact, we know that the ACB has been using stories on corruption to start investigations. The administration should really use this as an opportunity rather than seeing it as something changing the image of the country.”
The Tonse administration is under pressure from various stakeholders, including the Public Affairs Committee and some donors to do more to rid the country of graft.
Just last week, the European Union said it does not believe that the Tonse-led government has done enough to fight corruption for the bloc to resume budgetary support.
