Page 53 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 20

Leadership

promise from God that he would
now be required to pastor a whole
nation. His speech exposes the
depths of filth in Malawi that every
nation in Afrika is not only familiar
with but dealing with (or not) at
various levels. His speech exposes
his determination to rout it out,
even at the cost of his own comfort
and privacy.

In a continent where most political
leaders are willing to sit on a heap
of dung and encourage themselves
and others to simply ignore the
stench and evident rot surround- Martha Chizuma, Director General, Anti-Corruption
ing them, Chakwera appears to Bureau, Malawi.
have made the decision to pick up
a shovel and face the mountain of
excrement and to deal with it. En- admits he is disappointed and personally about the role she must play in
couraging the people of Malawi to hurt by her sentiments about him in the the fight against corruption; she
join in, ‘shine their light’; reminding leaked phone conversation: discusses exactly when the Bureau
them that the responsibility requires will take action on its findings
an army of people to deal with it – “Fellow Malawians, because doing so earlier would lead
rather than it being the struggle of a Earlier today, I held a meeting with to compromise; she discusses her
solitary individual, like Chizuma had the Director General of the An- knowledge of a bribe accepted
intimated in the recording. ti-Corruption Bureau, Ms. Martha by a specific judge two days prior
Such words, such sentiments require Chizuma, and the Minister of Jus- to attending a hearing before that
magnification, which is why we tice, Hon. Titus Mvalo. I called for judge; she discusses her emotional
share them below in their entirety the meeting pursuant to Section 4(4) and mental state in the course of
(as far as we can ascertain). In a of the Corrupt Practices Act, which conducting her work; she discusses
separate article, I speak about the requires the Director General of the amount of money she believes
power of words to impact and influ- the Bureau to report to me and the has passed through the hands of a
ence. This whole issue is about the Minister on the general conduct of suspect the Bureau recently arrested;
power of the blessing which often the affairs of the Bureau. she discusses the sentiments some
is released through words. These members of the Judiciary expressed
words, by Malawi’s leader, contain “Among the things tabled at this to her about the ruling of a court
within them the spark of life that meeting was an audio recording of she argued a case in; she discusses
can help remind each and every a conversation between Ms. Chizu- her belief that the justice system in
one of us what the cost of standing ma and another person, which Ms. Malawi will not do what is right in
up for what is right is and why it is Chizuma has confirmed to be an au- handling corruption cases unless it
worth it. They remind us how far thentic recording of a conversation is forced; she discusses the fact that
we need to go in order to com- she has acknowledged to me and the the lawyers at the Bureau told her
pletely transform the world around Minister to constitute misconduct that behind the lawyers defending
us. They remind us that there is a on her part. In the recording, which corruption suspects in court are
cause greater than ourselves that we has been widely circulated across so- twenty or thirty corrupt lawyers;
are fighting for. Read on and let us cial media and covered by the press, she discusses how many millions of
know what you think: she discusses certain elements and dollars have been spent on bribery
perspectives related to the Bureau’s by a corruption suspect; she affirms
President Chakwera of Malawi fires Kez- fight against corruption. the expressed view that there is no
zie Msukwa, dissolves cabinet, disagrees one in the whole country in whose
with AG’s Amnesty Propasal and throws Specifically, she discusses what one hands a bribe has not passed; she
his weight behind Chizuma although he of our foreign partners said to her discusses the defensive attitude

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