Report pokes holes in governance, politics
Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Malawi report has identified human rights violations, tribal politics and sluggish corruption fight among challenges undermining democracy and social-economic progress.
The report, launched on Friday in Lilongwe, is the first of its kind in the country.
It is a collaborative work between the Southern African Institute for International Affairs and local civil society led by the Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn).
It focused on wide-ranging issues, including health, climate change, education and employment.
On human rights violations, the report highlights arrests linked to social media posts and police brutality against suspects.
It adds: “The failure to make important information available to the public; a failure to protect the rights and dignity of minority groups and the shrinking of civic space.
“Civil society recommends that the government make sufficient resources available to ensure respect for and protection of human rights.”
On corruption, the report focuses on inadequate transparency in the management of public affairs which “poses serious risks to preventing or combatting corruption.”
“One contentious issue is the enforcement of the Political Parties Act, especially in terms of the obligations of political parties to declare their sources of financing.
“The public and the media continue to raise concerns about difficulties in accessing this vital information,” it reads in part.
The report further criticises nepotism among governing political parties. It blacklists the Tonse Alliance lead partner Malawi Congress Party (MCP) as a culprit.
“There are accusations that the MCP is practising politics of nepotism and regionalism, with appointments to key public positions appearing to favour people from the Central Region.
“These positions include the Secretary to the President and Cabinet, ministers of finance, agriculture, health and local government, the chief of staff [director-general] of State residences and the Inspector General of Police,” it says.
But it is quick to add that the problem is not unique to the MCP, indicating that the immediate past governing parties such as Democratic Progressive Party and United Democratic Front also concentrated power within their regional strongholds.
The APRM is an instrument devised by African Union member states as a self-monitoring initiative on good governance.
The process requires participating States to ascertain progress towards compliance with political, economic and corporate governance values in line with declarations on democracy, political, economic and corporate governance.
In an interview, Southern African Institute for International Affairs African governance and diplomacy programme head Steven Gruzd hoped the report recommendation would help the country improve its governance and political performance.
Meanwhile, special presidential adviser on non-governmental organisations Martha Kwataine has described the report as good.
“It highlights broad issues suffice to say that some of the issues the government has already taken steps to address.
“For example the health sector was highly understaffed as the report says. Government has, however, been recruiting nurses and healthcare cadres from all sectors. The situation is not as dire as it was,” she said.
Kwataine further stated that government will analyse the report thoroughly and address the other highlighted concerns in the report.
