Written by Tom Likambale
The MCP led, Tonse Alliance government, which is a month old now, has already executed some high profile arrests of those suspected to have stolen a lot of public money (in the billions in local currency) during the previous régime led by Professor Arthur-Peter Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party, DPP.
As important as it is to investigate, arrest and prosecute these alleged culprits where evidence of their culpability exists, there is a reason an arrest is not the end, but rather only the beginning of the process of determining criminal guilt.
In our experience in Malawi, thieves embezzling public/government property have not belonged uniquely to any single regime, they have been prevalent in all regimes at least in the past quarter century. Corruption is endemic.
If indeed fighting corruption should be its legacy, the Tonse Alliance government should look at the entire record, not just the record from the previous regime which, after all, was in power only since 2014.
Above all, The Alliance should set its own standards and put a priority on the ethical conduct of its own officials as a main accompaniment to their efforts against corruption. Otherwise, all this ends up looking like just another politically motivated witch hunt.
People who are no longer in government are not as dangerous to the security of government revenue and assets as those who are in government or entering it. This needs to be addressed.
In addition, we could have better coverage from our journalists and broadcasters. The respected journalists, above all, should give the example of holding their horses until the process of trial, all the way to the reading of a judgment in open court, is completed before pronouncing their own judgement on the guilt or innocence of those that have so far been arrested. This ought to be trite.
The exuberant celebration in pro-Tonse Alliance media at news of each and every single arrest before trials even begin, casts serious doubt on the objectivity with which the coming trials will be covered in media.
Malawians frankly deserve better.
