Malawi corruption at worrisome levels: CSOs report Mutharika to regional body

Civil society organisations (CSOs) – Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Center for Development of People (Cedep) –  have reported  Malawi’s corruption  and ‘state capture’ to the Aftican Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR).

The CSOs made their submission to the 63rd Ordinary Session of of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights in Banjul, the Ghambia.

“Corruption and abuse of public resources in Malawi has reached historical and worrisome levels  in our beloved country. Everyday our media is greeted wth sad reports of serioys and organised corruption involving senior government  officials,” reads  a presentation made  available to Nyasa Times.

They have also included President Peter Mutharika’s alleged involvement in the worsening corruption at the session which is being attended by Malawi Government trhough Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs chief State advocate Pacharo Kayira.

The presentation said the recent report from Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) “implicating the President [Mutharika]” is even more disturbing.”

CHRR executive director  Timothy Mtambo has said the CSO’s role in the fight against corruption and other human rights issues in Malawi has become a dangerous scheme as activist speaking against the vice have received death threats.

He said this as a matter of concern over the ‘shrinking political and civic space in Malawi’.

“The fight against corruption has become a dangerous scheme to the extent that civil society leaders  championing the fight against corruption have been receiving death threats,” said Mtambo.

He went further to narrate to the conference the recent August 30 2018 attack at CHRR offices in Lilongwe where unknown thugs wanted to attack him .

Since Mtambo was not at the office during the attack, the thugs ended up heavily injuring a security guard and threw a petrol bomb around the office premises.

Meanwhile, Mtambo has asked Malawi government to review the drafted NGO Policy so that it should be in line with the international best practices of NGO Policies and Laws.

“As I speak, there is drafted NGO policy which has repressive provisions and if adopted and passed as it is will have a negative impact on the operation of NGOs and activists in the country”

“We further appeal to Malawi government to review the draft NGO policy so that it is inline with international best practices of NGO policies and laws,” he added.

According to Mtambo, in a democracy NGO policies and laws should aim at strengthening NGOs and expanding the Civic space rather than the opposite as it is happening now.

He further urged Malawi government to depoliticize the state governance institutions such as MACRA, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Malawi NGO Board and Anti-corruption Bureau which he said have been used as vehicles to stifle the civil and political space.

“Public institutions such as the Malawi  Communications Regulatory Authority(MACRA) have time and again been used to silence political and human rights activists as well as media houses that have vigilantly  reported on corruption” he said.