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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »