Malawi government and some of citizens have hit back at out-going British High Commissioner Michael Nevin that the country has become significantly more corrupt.
Michael Nevin, British High Commissioner to Malawi: Jibe on corruption
In a newspaper interview, Nevin who leaves the country at the end of a four-year tour of duty, warned that rule of law could be permanently undermined by failure to arrest those who break the law.
Malawi government official spokesperson and Information and Civic Education Minister Patricia Kaliati rejected the perception that Malawi’s corruption is worsening.
Kaliati said in Weekend Nation that government has “a number of things” it is doing to clean up the administration of corruption .
She expressed concern at Nevin’s remarks, saying the Peter Mutharika led government has taken major steps to fight corruption.
Kaliati said Nevin’s remarks were unfair.
Some Malawians commenting on Nyasa Times hit back at Nevin.
“There is rampant corruption in the UK. Do you want me to name the entire list of corrupt MPs who were staying in one house in London but claim two house allowances yet were married and travel expenses as far as from the Mid-land. David Blanket, one of them…” a post of Chimpeni James on Nyasa Times read in part.
And others argued that it’s Britain, rather than Malawi, which is the most corrupt country in the world.
The fact of the matter is that London is the drug money laundering capital of the world, commented one observer.
Another comment posted on Nyasa Times read: “I have never liked this man called Nevin or whatever. He pokes his nose into our affairs too much. He thinks Britain owns Malawi.”
Jabulani Banda cited the Westphalian sovereignty, the principle of international law that each nation has sovereignty over its territory and domestic affairs, to the exclusion of all external powers, on the principle of non-interference in another country’s domestic affairs, and that each state (no matter how large or small) is equal in international law. The doctrine is named after the Peace of Westphalia, signed in 1648.
“I think Nevin has a personal agenda to interfere on local issues. He has aways be nagging,” Banda commented.
One posting under the name of ‘Ndamwera Zanga’ wrote: “Why are we stupid to the extent that we tolerate this nonsense? Under the Westphalia Treaty do you know that diplomats are not supposed to interfere with domestic matters of another sovereign state? I conclude that our reporters are dunderheads why cant you some day ask them this? Do you know that if our diplomat share similar sentiments over corruption in the UK with UK media he will be in the next plane home? This is too much.”
He added saying Nevin is a diplomat and not financial intelligence exper, saying “this nonsense must stop tell whosoever is coming after you to watch his mouth”
In an email to Nyasa Times, a social commentator who asked not to be named referred to remarks by to journalist Roberto Saviano, who spent more than a decade exposing the criminal dealings of the Italian Mafia, who said Britain is the most corrupt country in the world.
One ‘Hard Man’ comment backed Nevin: “But what he is saying is the truth. Why has nobody been arrested as regards Njaunju and Chasowa? Isn’t it you government thugs who murdered the two? And you want him to keep quite? Stop using ‘we in Malawi’ as if all of us agree with you. So of us Malawians would rather he said more of this.”
Others said Nevin was “merely stating a fact” with his comments.
The UK is ranked 10th in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption worldwide.
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It pains to be in Malawi sometimes because of how some people think. In UK there is corruption of course but she does not beg money from any country. It is one of the developed countries, its citizens once found in the act are punished accordingly. While Malawi begs and almost 90% of non budgetary development programmes are funded by the countries like UK and u think Nevin should keep quiet.
Malawi is ranked the poorest country in the world and others have guts to compare it to UK, alas. In Malawi justice system is almost ineffective and selective. A case can stay for 10years and later to hear that there is no evidence just because the accused is in good terms with the party in government.
Its a matter of time. We shall not live in this mediocrity forever.
Yayi zomelani waka kuti muli wankhungu. Sovereignty nde bwanji mumadaliranso, DFID. Pachuma napo mutenge ndimwe ma sovereign pera.Wamalawi muliwaka zolizoli pamatako phoooo, no mahala. Nevin wamuphalirani unenesko mwawazukazuka imwe, wamunkhweli wamuboliwoli na wambwengu waku manalo wakumuluskaniso mahara zikupempha waka vikhawu kweni imwe mukupempha na kwibaso. buladifulu zinu mose.
People should not blame Nevin. There is corruption everywhere in the world but Britain is more developed than our Malawi. Imagine Bingu stole so much only to develop ndata farm and his graveyard ndiye enanu mukusekerera zopusa. Thats why I say our leaders don’t have problems but us. Keep on supporting these stupid political leaders and die poor while they remain rich even in their graveyard at your expense. Political leaders in England might be corrupt but they still develop that Nation while your moron tells you to go and look for rats when you are hungry.
Why can we not listen to reason and improve? Malawi gets 60% of other countries and yet one is strong on sovereignty….very interesting
The problem with malawians is that ndife zitsiru especially tikangolawa zokuba zamuboma. Even anthu kutiuza zotithandiza timawada. Nevin is not a malawian citizen. Akutifunila zabwino olo mumude. Anthu oti sanayendepo kunja amaona ngati Lilongwe ndiye chitukuko. Muzingofa ndi njala kumayenda batefoot nkumavala sanza choncho amene mukuti atsogoleri anuwo akulemera msonkho want. Dziko la agalu ili opanda pake . A Kaliati unduna anakhala kalekale but can she point out anything apangapo apart from kuzilemeletsa?
Our being corrupt does not hurt UK but Malawi and Malawians, so whomsoever states it as a fact and it helps us to act on it ultimately helps us! If UK is corrupt for a fact, my saying so helps them if they are willing to act on it! Why would you want to protect corruption in Malawi by attacking the messenger!?
Nthandalanda
I don’t care whether Britain is corrupt or not. The difference is that Britain is involved in corruption on their own money while Malawi is stealing not only stealing tax payers’ money, but also donor money including that from Britain. This is why Nevin is claiming that in Malawi corruption is becoming rampant. Do you know that corruption exists all around the world including the US,Japan and Germany, but these countries do not beg money from elsewhere – they are actually stealing their own money. it is like your own child stealing sugar in the house, all you will do is to scorn him or her and possibly give them a few slaps, but what happens if the same sugar is stolen by a child from another family. The treatment will differ and you will even say the child is a thief and yet your child is equally a thief. Nevis is only sounding diplomatic by saying what he has said, but reading between two lines he is actually saying Malawi is stealing British money.
Western countries are the most corrupt in the world than African countries – the only problem is that Africans (especially Malawians) look down upon ourselves and the westerners usually take advantage of that. We think as Malawians there is nothing good that we have on our shelves BUT believe you me there is a lot that we do well than these so called westerners.
The other problem that we have is our media – we have such a stupid media in Malawi, which is also very corrupt. That is why we see our Daily Papers and private radio stations focusing on politics other than what is actually happening in rural areas because they get a lot out of politicking. We know them very well.
Absolutely nonsense! A Colonial sycophant addicted to licking colonial masters’ a***h***le.
Mwana wa Mzungu uyu is trying to justify his usefulness working abroad as a diplomat so that the British government would send him somewhere as an ambassador. Remember he was a King in Malawi (living in a mansion which he will never afford in his lifetime, six domestic workers, six cars, etc), he is going to be a pauper in the UK living in a two-bedroom flat. He is advertising himself. Shame you are going back to the Brexit.
Nevin is 100% right and some of you are foolish, mixing things or issues which don’t even match.
No country is 100% corruption free but it is the degree and extent of corruption that shames us Malawians/Africans. The corruption some of you dpp foolish thugs mention here about uk is completely insignificant when compared to dpp or Malawi corruption.
Malawi or dpp corruption damages the whole Malawi economy to the extent of preventing development in the country. That doesn’t happen in uk you fools. You steal more than 30% of national budget and expect the country to develop. Does that happen in uk?
U.K Is one of the most transparent countries in the world where corruption is very low. It is actually leading the war on corruption. And you dpp thugs still depriving Malawians of good health, education, housing, etc facilities because of your massive corruption stealing for selfish enrichment of yourselves at the expense of the suffering masses.
Swallow your pride and start to fight corruption which is holding us back in terms of real development of our people. Nevin is just giving you very good advice.
Kaliati has never said something objectively ……. God have mercy on malawians otherwise tithatonse ndi poison.
What is happening with your moderation thing. Why don’t you post other comments more especially those who agree with Nevin’s line of thoughts on corruption in Malawi?
Nevin is right. Corruption is worsening in Malawi. Those who are speaking against him are just DPP loyalists who will do anything to back up their party. This DPP led government is not fighting corruption at all. Their talk about corruption is just a mere political rhetoric and stupid people believe in those political rhetoric.
The worst thing in Malawi is that political leadership is in the hands of dunderheads and they are untouchable because they are ruling uneducated idiots. Nevin is saying the truth but we ordinary Malawians who are feeling the pinch of such malpractices we are on fore front insulting him in the name of understanding Westphalian treaty. Nyasatimes should also take time when reporting: those comments you cited are from DPP supporters who are paid monthly just to comment good things of the DPP led administration. ndimadandaula kuti ndinabadwa mu dziko lomwe anthu ambiri kuganiza kumakhala kopusa, kwa uchitsiru, komanso ndikulamulilidwa ndi dull professor.
Nevin and Tozer Tsono are STUPID. UK is very corrupt too. Secretaries (Ministers) and MPs do claim two house allowances and transport expenses purporting are commuting from the Midland yet they dwell in central London
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It hurts to be Malawian some times. You see . . .
. . . being Malawian; automatically associates you with people oti amaganiza mosiira panjira. Nanga inu . . .
. . . Can someone chide Nervin just because Malawi is a sovereign state?, and therefore Nevin should have kept quiet on such as important issue as this? So who shall speak out or tell these people that the world is watching?
. . . Yes, there is corruption almost everywhere including the U.K, but is it hard to know that levels of corruption are all that matter? and that Malawi’s corruption levels are worrisome?
. . . Is it not a display of a strange-thought process therefore, to ask Nevin to keep quiet coz the U.K. is equally corrupt? And even if the levels of corruption in the U.K were just as worrisome, does this justify that Malawi should be as corrupt? Does wrong become right just because everybody is doing it?
. . . A Malawi nso tu pena pake mitu yathu siikoka iai!!
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If APM and his team read some of these strange comments, do you think he will feel the need to act?
. . . wont he smile that he has the backing of his people? Trust me we are not helping this country at all!
People like Nevin (who have the courage to speak out when things are going wrong when almost everybody is just watching); need to be supported. Coz it shows that he cares about Malawi!
. . . After all, if corruption is reduced in Malawi, it is ordinary poor Malawians who will benefit and not Nevin.
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The Analyst……generally iwe ndi deal…. I like ur comments. whoever you are I believe u r no ordinary homosapien…..keep it up. I hope some few people go through stuff like this and may be and hopefully one day we will see a change in our thinking. everything starts with our minds….if w cud have at least very few who think like this…..Malawi will have few responsible people. Don’t attack the person who has said this because of his nationality(or because his country is corrupt too ) but rather see the truth in what he is saying.
The analyst keep it up
Thanks
Nevin is not begging for funds, medicines, or any such support from the government of Malawi. UK deals with her own corruption in a very effective and transparent way. Their citizens are not starving. They have diligently supported Malawi’s parliamentary budget, non governmental agencies, etc, out of their own tax payers money.
What are the Malawi thieves doing with billions of stolen money when their own family (citizens) are worse off than they were during the one man Banda rule?
Government has taken major steps in shielding corrupt ministers and not fighting corruption, work up akweni
word
I spend half of the year in Malawi, the other half in the UK and, sadly, what Nevin says is true. Yes, there is corruption in the UK (and any country) but the difference is that there, when it’s uncovered, it’s dealt with, people are punished. Here in Malawi, it is indeed worsening in everyday life, and very few ever face the consequences. When corruption is rife in government, people will follow that example. When poverty worsens, people will seek any means to make ends meet.
ITS so cynical that we are arguing with one has our purse. you cannot say because my MD is drivin merc so i deserve the same.
The most widely regarded measure of public sector corruption perception is Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI). Malawi’s rankings and scores for the past 4yrs indicate worrisome deterioration. 2015: rank 112, score 31; 2014: rank 110, score 33; 2013: rank 91, score 37; 2012: Rank 88, score 37. Both the ranking (out of more than 175 countries on average) and scores (out of 100), are clearly getting worse. So, Nevin is simply stating a fact. Granted that corruption is everywhere in the world, Malawi’s corruption problem is systemic and comparing it with the UK is simply being naive. Let’s not be in denial. Being defensive is not helpful, calls for better government and governance should be heed.
A Fact Check, dziko lathuli lidakakhala ndianthu odzitsata ngati inu mbambadi bwezi titatukuka kuposanso Britain ndithu.
Nevin is right and I have liked him. Kaliati should not be angry why is it that government failed to arrest njaunju .its DPP who did that bravo nevin you rae speaking for the poor.
Hahaha yes they’re Malawians but not without political affiliation. Those comments really cannot come from a patriotic Citizen of this corrupt nation. Its true corruption is very high in this country and if nothing is done quickly, this country will collapse soon.
Thank you Nyasatimes for this story. I have enjoyed it so much .Thank you for putting out the reaction of us. This is our country period we should never allow to be insulted. if one of two people are corrupt nde kuti ndi tonse? no no no
U R epileptic i guess
We also need our tax revenue which Britain has been stealing from us through that tax treaty signed in the 1950s. Mbava zeni zeni nde za ku Britain zo osati ife. They have developed with our resources in Africa. Let someone refute this clain.
The diplomat is saying the thruth. Malawi is now the number one poorest country in the World beaten by countries ravaged by wars yet we have been in peace since independence. All this because of corruption. So Nevin is right we seem to be intertwining corruption too much. Malawi will remain a failed state forever.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT TRUTH HURTS. THOSE WHO ARE FINDING WHAT NEVIN HAS SAID ARE CORRUPT TO THE BONE. THIS COUNTRY IS CORRUPT.
THE TRUTH on Njaunju murder is that this corrupt government arrested an innocent area12 watchman who found Njaunju phone at Lilongwe river. He has been in custody without charge for a year now. Government have no clue what to charge him for because they did the murder themselves. Please release this Kauma poor man because his wife and children are suffering.
NOSENSE BOOTLICKERS OF THE WHITES..LEARN TO SPEAK FOR YOURSELVES IF YOU HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN MALAWI IS CORRUPT …YOU REALLY NEEDED A WHITE PERSON TO TELL YOU THIS? OPUSA INU ETI.
Your comment is just another example of illogical thinking. No one can lick the boots of a statement of fact, even metaphorically. You personalize the issue, then you attack the person rather than the issue. You treat an argument as though it were a scuffle in an elementary school playground. If we deny what is obvious to everyone, we are not learning to speak for ourselves; we are refusing to think for ourselves. Instead, we are assuming a position in an argument simply because it is antagonistic to the position assumed by our perceived opponent. Only a person of very limited cognitive ability or maturity would assume that everything his opponent says is wrong. Sadly, my brother, the nonsense in this case is all yours.
When you call a thief a thief, you are not insulting him. You are simply making a statement of fact.
Moreover, Nevin’s and Kaliati’s remarks are not necessarily contradictory. The government may indeed be taking steps to reduce corruption, and meanwhile corruption may be getting worse. The government needs to take EFFECTIVE steps to reduce the corruption. If corruption is not reduced by the government’s steps, these steps are just a further waste of our very limited financial resources.
Some of us may find self-deception easy to achieve, but we should not expect the rest of the world to join us in a conspiracy of willful ignorance.
The patient may not like the doctor’s diagnosis, but the first step towards his recovery is accepting that he is sick. And to those people who would respond to the diagnosis by saying “But doctor, you are sicker than me,” I would say: “Sign up for a few lessons in basic logic.”