LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s Citizen Alliance has questioned the continued acting Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Gabriel Chembezi, arguing that the arrangement raises concerns about accountability and public confidence.
In a statement issued on 24 August 2026, Citizen Alliance Executive Director Baxton Nkhoma said the concern follows the failure of the latest recruitment process to identify a candidate who met the required threshold for appointment as substantive ACB Director General.
The organisation said the current Acting ACB DG Chembezi was among those assessed during the recruitment process but was not successful in meeting the threshold for the substantive position.
Citizen Alliance has therefore questioned the basis on which the same individual continues to lead the institution in an acting capacity.
The organisation stressed that its concerns are not a personal attack on the Chembezi, but rather relate to institutional governance, accountability and public confidence in Malawi’s principal anti-corruption body.
According to the grouping, the ACB has a critical responsibility to investigate and prevent corruption while supporting the enforcement of the country’s anti-corruption laws.
It said the leadership of such an institution must command not only legal authority but also professional credibility, institutional confidence and public trust.
Citizen Alliance acknowledged that Government has indicated that the continued acting appointment is permissible under the existing legal framework.
However, the organisation argued that legality should not be the only consideration, saying Government must also demonstrate whether the arrangement is institutionally appropriate and capable of maintaining public confidence in the ACB.
The organisation further expressed concern that an arrangement initially intended to provide temporary leadership has continued for an extended period.
Citizen Alliance said acting appointments may be necessary to ensure institutional continuity but should not become a substitute for substantive leadership, particularly at an institution as important as the ACB.
It has consequently called on Government to restart the recruitment process and ensure that it is transparent, merit-based, independent and completed within a clearly defined timeframe.
The grouping therefore has urged Government to explain what lessons have been learnt from the latest recruitment exercise, whether the criteria used were appropriate and whether the assessment process was sufficiently robust and competitive.
The organisation further wants Government to outline measures that will ensure the next recruitment process identifies a suitable candidate and to provide a clear timeframe for appointing a substantive Director General.
Citizen Alliance has called on the President, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Parliament and all other institutions involved in the appointment process to treat the matter with urgency, arguing that Malawi’s fight against corruption cannot afford prolonged leadership uncertainty.
The organisation said the credibility of Malawi’s fight against corruption depends largely on the credibility, independence and effectiveness of the institution leading that fight and urged Government to appoint a substantive ACB Chief through a transparent and credible process capable of commanding public confidence.
