Government yesterday said it is rooting out corruption from the vice’s biggest source—procurement irregularities, which the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has said accounts for over 70 percent of cases it handles, among other measures.
Principal Secretary for Good Governance Unit (GGU) in the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) Reinford Mwangonde said this in response to The Nation’s questionaire on the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report by Transparency International.
He said President Peter Mutharika’s administration is implementing the Malawi National Electronic Government Procurement System (MANePS) that will help to eliminate graft loopholes.
“As you are aware, the ACB says that 70 percent of their cases are linked to procurement irregularities,” said Mwangonde.
He said strict automation of procurement—essentially digitising the procurement cycle and digitisation of public services in general will help to eliminate human interaction and enable real-time financial tracking thereby reducing discretion and opportunity for corruption.
Strict adherence to asset declarations and ethical standards and stronger internal controls in ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and local authorities plus efforts to improve public participation and reporting mechanisms are also helping to flush out a culture of impunity in the public service, Mwangonde said.
Released on Monday, the CPI report focuses on perceptions of domestic public-sector corruption, including low-level administrative graft and shows that since 2022, the country’s performance has largely been stagnant.
Malawi has maintained a score of 34 on the CPI since 2022, signalling that the country has neither regressed significantly nor acheieved the breakthrough improvements needed to make a dent on its rankings.
Mwangonde said the fluctuation in ranking from 110 to 115, then to 107, and now to 109 in the respective last four years largely reflects movements by other countries rather than a substantial change in Malawi’s underlying score.
He noted that governance culture does not change in a single electoral cycle, pointing out that there were periods in the nation’s recent history when enforcement was inconsistent, oversight institutions were weakened and signals from leadership did not always reflect zero tolerance.
That environment, he said, created space for the malpractice to take root and, in some cases, become normalised. He said reversing that legacy requires deliberate institutional rebuilding, which is what the Mutharika administration is doing.
“Most importantly, remember that this is a reflection of the Chakwera Government and not the current leadership. Their [Chakwera administration) conduct has led to this performance on the index. The looting that happened in that administration is there for every Malawian to see.”
Mwangonde said Mutharika—who has consistently emphasised zero tolerance for corruption and the need to protect public resources—has already directed the strengthening of key institutions in the fight against graft.
For example, he said, the President has guaranteed the operational independence of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) while committing higher budget allocations to the two offices.
Government is also reinforcing the role of the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA) in detecting suspicious financial transactions and strengthening procurement oversight through the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA).
Mwangonde said government is also focusing on speed and certainty of justice by ensuring that corruption cases are investigated and prosecuted efficiently.
In a separate interview, anti-money laundering and anti-corruption law expert Jai Banda emphasized the need to strengthen institutions such as ACB and the Judiciary, increase transparency in government dealings and contracts, enhance accountability through parliamentary oversight and citizen-led monitoring.
“Foster public engagement in governance and decision-making, review and strengthen anti-corruption laws and regulations, addressing underlying issues like poverty, inequality, and lack of access to education and economic opportunities can also help reduce corruption,” he suggested.
National Anti-Corruption Alliance chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa said the stagnation is not about weak laws, but weak political will, selective enforcement, and the politicisation of justice.
He said when a new administration comes into power, arrests are made targeting officials from the previous government, but many cases stall or disappear once power shifts again.
“Oversight institutions must be independent and well-resourced. Corruption cases must be investigated and concluded quickly and fairly. Whistle-blowers and witnesses must be protected. Above all, leaders must show integrity through action,” Kaiyatsa suggested.
Centre for Social Transparency and Accountability executive director Willy Kambwandira agreed, saying the stagnant score shows that the anti-corruption fight has largely stalled with rhetoric and very little consequence.
He said when high profile scandals drag on without convictions and public funds keep leaking, perception hardens into reality, adding that it had become evident that leaders are not paying a real price for corruption.
There were no responses from the ACB and Ministry of Justice as of yesterday, but during a recent multi-stakeholder dialogue on anti-corruption in Lilongwe, ACB acting director general Gabriel Chembezi said they will work on non-discriminatory basis.
He said: “We will ensure timely prosecution of matters, including reviving prosecution of matters that have stalled in the past few years.”
