Malawi’s anti-graft efforts have come under scrutiny amid an expired National Anti- Corruption Strategy (NACS) II and lack of a substantive Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general for over a year.
The strategy expired in December 2024 while court challenges in the recruitment process have stalled the selection of the bureau’s DG, prompting legal and accountability pundits to decry the situation as worrisome and retrogressive.
Consequently, in the past three years, Malawi has maintained a score of 34 on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) since 2022.
Ant i -Corruption Al l iance chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa, in an interview yesterday, said delays in developing NACS III were a cause of concern and unacceptable because it gives an impression of lack of urgency in confronting corruption.
Corruption Bureau and other oversight institutions. | Nation
He said the vacuum affects coordination, disrupts continuity in anti-corruption reforms, limits accountability and undermines confidence from citizens as well as development partners in the government’s commitment to anti-corruption.
Said Kaiyatsa: “Malawi cannot afford to be without a national strategy at a time when corruption remains deeply entrenched in public service, procurement and governance systems.
“The delay also weakens the mandate of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and other oversight institutions, which rely on such a strategic framework to guide their interventions, justify budget allocations, and foster inter-agency cooperation.”
He said that while the Corrupt Practices Act (CPA) and the National Anti-Corruption Policy remain legally binding instruments, they are insufficient without a broader strategic roadmap such as NACS.
In a separate interview, accountability expert Willy Kambwandira said it was not surprising that the ACB appears to have lost direction as a strategy sets direction, ensures accountability and helps in building partnerships across the anti-corruption landscape.
Catholic University of Malawi dean of law James Kaphale said delays in developing NACS III mean that there is no fresh plan to guide direction which the country should follow in combating corruption.
However, private practice lawyer John-Gift Mwakhwawa said the fight against corruption does not depend on the strategy, but rests on the law and people charged with enforcement of that law.
ACB senior public relations officer Jacqueline Ngongonda had not yet responded to our questionnaire by press time at 9pm.
Former ACB DG Martha Chizuma’s contract expired in May last year and she is yet to be replaced.
