Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs yesterday embarked on a fresh hunt for Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general to fill the vacancy created after the expiry of Martha Chizuma’s contract on May 31 2024.
In an interview yesterday, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango confirmed that seven candidates were shortlisted for interviews, but declined to disclose their names, saying doing so could affect their privacy.
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“It is not ethical to disclose their names because it can have an impact on their personal life,” he said.
Mhango further refused to provide a timeline for the recruitment, saying he did not want to put the interview committee under pressure.
In August this year, the ministry re-advertised the position for the third time in two years after indicating that it had failed to identify a suitable candidate following interviews conducted in April, in which about eight candidates, including ACB acting director general Gabriel Chembezi participated.
Last week, Mhango indicated that he had directed ACB acting director general Gabriel Chembezi to continue serving until a substantive appointment was made.
The directive followed the expiry of Chembezi’s 12-month tenure on November 3 2026, before the recruitment of a substantive ACB chief had been finalised.
President Peter Mutharika’s administration appointed Chembezi last November after removing another acting director general, Hilary Chilomba, who was appointed during the Malawi Congress Party administration. Chilomba, who previously served as deputy director general, took over from Chizuma in June 2024.
Under Section 5(1) of the Corrupt Practices Act (CPA), names of three successful candidates are submitted to the President, who makes the appointment subject to confirmation by Parliament’s Public Appointments Committee.
