Pastors Link Malawi commend JB for crackdown on corruption
Pastors Link Malawi, a grouping of more than 4,000 Pentecostal Pastors in the country has commended President Joyce Banda’s drive against corruption in the wake of a crackdown by authorities on public officers suspected of plundering public resources.
Addressing a news conference in Blantyre on Friday, the group expressed gratification on the drive saying it is likely to recover government’s money that is unlawfully under the custody of civil servants.
This briefing came in the wake of a spate of statements from donors, Civil Society Organizations and other stakeholders following revelations that some public officers at Capital Hill have been arrested with huge amounts of cash in their cars and homes.
“It is gratifying that these revelations and debate are taking place at this time when Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda is implementing her clean-up programme in tandem with the Economic Recovery Plan,” said Bishop Chimwemwe Mtuwa, the group’s General Secretary.
He pointed out that corruption has been rampant for many years evidenced by declarations by former Director of Public Prosecutions, Fahad Assani during Bakili Muluzi regime and Anti-Corruption Bureau’s affirmation during the rule of Bingu wa Mutharika.
Both Assani and ACB independently and separately estimated that Malawi Government loses close to 30 percent of its revenue to corruption.
Mtuwa added that the stance taken by the President in making sure that no public officer, whether senior or junior, will not be spared is a positive move.
“We applaud her for enforcing an open, transparent and accountable Government where indeed as per word; these syndicates of fraud, corruption and embezzlement are now being exposed.
“We call upon Her Excellency to continue waling her talk. We call upon her government to continue being transparent and accountable to its citizenry by making sure that those involved in these malicious acts are not treated as ‘sacred cows” despite the colours that they put on, ” said he.
The pastors also encouraged the President to stand firm and not be shaken as she moves forward with the busting of corruption networks and syndicates that are deep-rooted within Malawi society.
For the whole of this week, fiscal police and Anti-Corruption Bureau officials in Lilongwe have invaded Capital Hill where several officers have been arrested in connection with corruption at government seat.
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