Prof Wiseman says Malawians need to condemn wrong things as Kachaje tells PAC ‘corruption worsening’
Wiseman Chijere Chirwa, a professor at the University of Malawi’s Chancellor College, said at Public Affairs Committee (PAC) sixth All-Inclusive Stakeholders Conference underway in Blantyre that lack of visionary national leadership and worsening corruption as some of the factors that have worsened poverty while a few elite become richer.
Chijere Chirwa said that in order to deal with corruption, Malawians need to change their values and refute “its okay culture.”.
He said: “As a nation, we need to condemn wrong things whenever necessary rather than just watch while things are going astray.
“People who have stolen public money have gone scot-free because all we do is talk about the act and no condemnation is done.”
Chirwa also urged Malawians to use the law as “a tool for justice and the truth.”
Economist Henry Kachaje, who is one of President Peter Mutharika’s most acerbic critics,made presentations on how corruption is affecting Malawi economy.
In his presentation titled ‘corruption: It’s impact on social economic development in Malawi,” Kachaje unveiled that corruption is worsening in Malawi.
During the comments session Minister of Health Dr. Peter Kumpalume said that Zambia is more developed than Malawi because it has mineral deposits and not because of corruption in Malawi.
Kumpalume indicated that once Malawians start owning this country and detesting corruption, things will improve for the better.
The minister said there are instances where people provide partial information about corrupt practices which eliminates chances for proper action to be taken against the perpetrators.
“For action to be taken, we need full details, yet Malawians are not bold enough to reveal such details and that negatively affects the fight on corruption and things need to change if we are to win,” said Kumpalume.
However, responding to his sentiments, Kachaje challenged Kumpalume that there are countries that have no mineral deposits and yet they are better developed than Malawi.
“This country is simply underdeveloped because it is being mismanaged, we have no leaders,” Kachaje said.
Making his contribution Democratic Progressive Party’s Vice President for the Central Region, Dr Hetherwick Ntaba, said Malawians are fond of blaming those in the government when it comes to corruption forgetting that everyone has a role in the fight against corruption.
Ntaba said: “We are all beneficiaries of corruption. We are disgusted as much as you are. ”
He added: “Ending corruption needs to be everyone’s responsibility.”
The conference is being held under the theme: The State of Governance and Public Trust: Reclaiming our Destiny.
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