First Vice President Justice Dr. Jane Ansah has called on the Ministry of Justice to review and eliminate programmes, practices, and procedures that undermine people’s dignity in the delivery of public services.
Dr. Ansah emphasized the need to empower the youth to become active champions of honesty and accountability within their communities.
She noted that corruption is not only a financial crime but also a moral one, with every corrupt act eroding human dignity.
She urged the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to support the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in all possible ways to enhance its effectiveness in combating corruption. Dr. Ansah further assured that the government will back the ACB and its leadership both technically and financially to ensure the institution remains strong, effective, and fully empowered.
Speaking at a panel discussion on International Anti-Corruption Day, Golden Matonga, Chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi, called for greater responsiveness from authorities to corruption cases exposed by the media. Matonga expressed concern over institutional inaction, noting that government agencies often fail to investigate or hold accountable officers implicated through media reports.
He added that corruption “fights back,” particularly targeting journalists, citing recent instances where reporters were forced to flee the country after exposing powerful individuals involved in corrupt practices.
Matonga highlighted government procurement as a major source of corruption, estimating that 30–40 percent of the national budget is lost through corrupt practices, and singled out the Malawi Police Service as the institution most widely perceived as corrupt.
At the same panel, Bertha Phiri, Executive Director of the Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN), noted growing public frustration with persistent corruption. Phiri emphasized citizens’ demand for fairness and equal access to social services.
She called for strict enforcement of the Corrupt Practices Act, enhanced protection for whistleblowers, and reforms to strengthen the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) to more effectively combat corruption.
