Page 54 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 20

Leadership

of Catholics and Pentecostals to to that office. fought back and used someone she
corrupt public officers who may be trusted to betray her and expose
members of their church, and the Now, as much as Ms. Chizuma’s both her and me to embarrassment.
pressure those churches are being conduct in this unfortunate incident I therefore want those evil forces
put under to comply; she discusses has been disappointing, I would like that recorded her to know that nei-
how we should forget about Civil to state why I appointed her to head ther I nor Ms. Chizuma are moved
Society being of any use in the fight the Anti-Corruption Bureau in the by their efforts to derail my agenda
against corruption; she discusses first place and why I have reaffirmed to rid Malawi of corruption. If you
rumors she has heard alleging that to that position with a warning. I thought that making this recording
she no longer has the support of the appointed her because I considered would force me to fire her, you bet-
President who appointed her. her to be a person of great courage, ter think again. And if you thought
the kind of courage needed to take that you can use Ms. Chizuma’s
“Understandably, the recording has on dangerous cartels of corruption work or improper comments on that
sparked public debate about wheth- that have milked our country dry for audio to attack me and get me out
er or not Ms. Chizuma has breached decades, including foreign ones that of the way, you better think again.
her Oath of Office, whether or not donate to us the crumbs leftover You may have gotten to the ACB
she has compromised the credibility from the bread they steal from us. I Director this time, but you can nev-
of the Bureau and the security of appointed her because I considered er get to all of us who are fighting
its investigations, whether or not her to be a person of great integrity, this fight in different parts of the
she has violated the same Corrupt the kind of integrity needed to resist government. We will never retreat
Practices Act she was appointed every inducement that would be and we will never relent. As Martha
to enforce, whether or not she has thrown her way to compromise her. Chizuma says on that audio, Nkhon-
defamed the judge of an indepen- I appointed her because I consid- do iyiyi ndi ya tonse, ndipo tiwina.
dent court, and whether or not she ered her to be a person of great
has discredited the Clergy and Civil strength, the kind of strength need- “My resolve to win this fight is the
Society. ed to keep fighting for justice even reason why I and many Malawians
when it looks hopeless and dark. I stood by her to see that Parliament
I consider that debate to be healthy, appointed her because I considered confirmed her after she was initially
because Ms. Chizuma’s conduct, or her to be a person of great vision, rejected by its Public Appointments
the conduct of any public servant the kind of vision to see the whole Committee. My resolve to win this
in a public office, is neither infallible edifice of corrupt activities and see fight is the reason why I have never
nor beyond scrutiny nor above the how best to dismantle it. I appoint- once interfered with ACB inves-
law. Now since the conduct of any ed her because I considered her to tigations, including those into the
ACB Director is regulated by law, be a person of great experience, conduct of my own Ministers. My
there are several legal minds who the kind of experience she had as resolve to win this fight is the reason
have told me that the audio record- the Ombudsman, where she proved why even I myself have cooperated
ing contains information justifying herself to be a warrior for justice. with ACB investigations by sub-
Ms. Chizuma’s removal as Director And I appointed her because I con- jecting myself to questioning by its
of the Anti-Corruption Bureau on sidered her to be a member of the officers, which no sitting Head of
the grounds of misconduct in terms team of warriors for justice I have State has ever done in this country.
of Section 6B (2) of the Corrupt been building to serve Malawians. My resolve to win this fight is the
Practices Act, 2019. But upon con- reason why in all my public and
sideration of multiple factors, I have “This is what I believed about Ms. private statements about the ACB, I
determined that the best thing to do Chizuma at that time, and this is have been the most vocal advocate
in this instance is to keep a watchful what I believe about her today. And against corruption and supporter
eye on her general conduct of the ever since I appointed her, I have of its work. My resolve to win this
Bureau’s affairs in order to ensure found her to be a strong partner fight is the reason why I have fought
that there are no other incidents of in fulfilling the promise of Ending many forces to ensure that the Bu-
concern about her fitness for office Corruption that I made to Mala- reau is fully funded and its Chief is
going forward. As such, I have given wians, which is the fourth pillar of well-protected.
her a stern warning about what the my SUPER Hi5 agenda. I believe
law demands and what I expect that it is because of her resolve to “I must therefore confess that
from her as the person I appointed fight corruption that corruption has because of how vested I am in the

54 | we tell the true afrikan story