Parliament has expressed reservations that the country’s fight against corruption is not bearing desirable results.
The concern follows Malawi’s downward score on the 2023 Corruption Index which has seen the country sliding down to position 115 out of 180 countries with a score of 34 percent from 110 in 2022 with a 35 percent score.
According to the House’s legal affairs and government assurances cluster committee, it is high time the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) ups its game towards improving the country`s perception on corruption.
“We have gone down as a nation from 110 in 2022 to 115 in 2023 out of 180 countries and we are at 34 percent, so we see that as a problem that our fight against corruption is not making any headway.
“Because we are now going backwards instead of moving forward of course, they made the explanation that a number of factors going into it, including a public perception,” said Albert Mbawala the cluster committee’s chairperson.
Mbawala added that the graft-bursting body needs to fight the vice with all the required zeal.
He said: “But for sure they need to pull up their socks, they need to work hard to improve the perception of the public. They should be seen to be no fighting corruption, the public should see that they are indeed making headway in the fight against corruption.”
But reacting to the concerns, ACB Director General Martha Chizuma maintained that the Bureau remains committed in dealing with the vice amid numerous challenges and that the fight demands collaborative efforts.
“Yes, there been a lot of challenges I need to admit, but the zeal and the enthusiasm, but I think that assumption should also not absorb, you have the presidency, the members of parliament themselves, the ministers, the private sector, from their responsibility in the anti-corruption fight.
“But as it is, if all of us just continue keeping on indulging in this corrupt act, when that happens, you cannot put the blame on ACB because there is no way ACB will investigate each and every case that happens in this country. There is no way the ACB will prosecute each and every case, it’s not practically possible.”
