Chizuma challenged to deliver now that Kayuni is out
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) and Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) have challenged Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General, Martha Chizuma, to start delivering on her corruption fight now that her nemesis and fired Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Dr. Steven William Kayuni is out of the system.
The two organizations says the dismissal of Kayuni is enough that the Malawi Government could do to energize Martha Chizuma to expedite corruption cases.
Apparently, the ACB boss has been complaining that she did not receive support from the office of the DPP regarding prosecution of corruption cases involving high profile personalities and politicians.
In his national address on Wednesday, President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera expressed disappointment that the bad blood between Kayuni and Chizuma affected prosecution of corruption cases.
Chakwera observed that Malawi did not make significant progress in the fight against graft despite his call for ACB and all stakeholders to adopt a new approach that involves all institutions working together in order to make the fight sustainable and victories irreversible.
“That is a more sustainable weapon against corruption than institutions that work alone or individuals who can make costly mistakes. So no matter what anybody says, my administration has no interest in supporting a losing anti-corruption strategy that promotes interagency discord. When I promised and when you elected me to end corruption, this collaborative approach between institutions was always the goal, and nothing will deter me from it,” he said.
HRDC vice chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa and HRCC chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba concurred with Chakwera, saying the bad blood between the two legal luminaries was costing Malawians fortunes in corruption fight.
The duo said now that Kayuni is out of the system, Chizuma has no excuse, but strive to work with other institutions if Malawi is to see progress in the battle against corruption.
“We expect ACB to expedite prosecution of corruption cases now. She has no excuses to make,” said Mkwezalamba.
