Chembezi, Kamanga and Malunda all fail ACB top job bid

In an extraordinary twist to Malawi’s ongoing anti-corruption crisis, it has emerged that even the man currently running the country’s graft-busting bureau has failed in his own bid to land the job permanently.

Acting Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Gabriel Chembezi was among a string of high-profile candidates rejected for the top job, alongside former Director of Public Prosecutions Anthony Kamanga and public prosecutor Dziko Malunda — leaving government with no choice but to tear up the entire recruitment process and start over.

The astonishing outcome means not a single candidate interviewed for the substantive position of ACB Director General was deemed successful — forcing authorities back to square one nearly two years after Martha Chizuma’s tenure came to an end.

Chembezi’s failure carries particular sting, given he is the man currently steering the bureau from the top on an acting basis, and had been widely expected to make a strong case to secure the role permanently.

The result leaves Malawi with the bizarre reality that the individual currently leading the country’s principal anti-corruption agency wasn’t considered good enough for the job on a substantive footing — alongside other seasoned legal heavyweights.

Attorney General Frank Mbeta confirmed the shock outcome, revealing that every single candidate had fallen short, and that the position would need to be readvertised.

“People should not be worried,” Mbeta insisted, promising the process would restart “by next week.”

But the failed interviews mean Malawi’s search for a permanent ACB chief is effectively back to the drawing board — with the post having sat vacant since Chizuma’s departure in 2024, leaving the bureau reliant on acting leadership for close to two years running.

The extraordinary result has sparked serious questions over exactly what criteria were applied during the recruitment process, with observers noting it is highly unusual for an entire field of candidates — vying for a role demanding legal, investigative, managerial and anti-corruption expertise — to be rejected in one sweep.

The outcome has also placed fresh scrutiny on Chembezi’s ongoing acting tenure. While Mbeta insists continuing under an acting arrangement remains entirely lawful, governance and law expert Benedicto Kondowe has warned such arrangements are designed to bridge vacancies temporarily — not become a permanent substitute for proper, substantive leadership.

Willy Kambwandira of the Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency echoed those concerns, arguing that an institution tasked with investigating corruption desperately needs stable, credible leadership if it is to retain any real public confidence.

With Chembezi, Kamanga, Malunda and the rest of the field all falling short, government must now go through the arduous process of readvertising the post, shortlisting fresh applicants and running an entirely new round of interviews.

For the ACB, the burning question is no longer simply who will eventually succeed Chizuma — it’s how much longer Malawi’s premier anti-corruption institution can continue operating without a permanent leader at the helm.

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