…“No one made the cut”: ACB boss search stalls again, job to be readvertised……
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s hunt for a new Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General has hit a wall, with government confirming that none of the applicants who went through the recent interviews qualified for the job.
This means Acting ACB Gabriel Chembezi has also failed the interviews to take the job at the bureau.
The development means the top post at the country’s graft-busting body will have to be advertised afresh, extending a leadership vacuum that has now lasted close to two years.
According to officials, the recruitment panel concluded the latest process without identifying a suitable candidate to take over the office.
As a result, fresh applications will be invited and a new round of interviews held.
The ACB has been operating without a substantive DG since Martha Chizuma exited the Bureau in 2024.
Since then, the institution has been led in an acting capacity, a situation that critics say has weakened its ability to pursue high-profile cases decisively.
Anti-corruption analysts argue that a permanent head is needed to provide direction, restore public confidence, and send a strong signal that the fight against graft remains a priority.
“This delay is not good for the image of the ACB,” a governance expert in Lilongwe said. “Donors, citizens and the private sector all want to see stability at the Bureau.
The longer the position stays vacant, the more questions people will ask about political will.”
Government has not given reasons why all candidates in the last round were rejected, but sources familiar with the process say the panel applied strict criteria on integrity, experience and leadership.
The ACB DG position is one of the most sensitive appointments in government.
The office holder is expected to lead investigations into corruption, advise on policy, and work with other law enforcement agencies across the region.
Civil society groups have been pushing authorities to speed up the appointment, saying a prolonged gap risks sending the wrong message at a time when Malawi is trying to improve transparency and accountability.
For now, the Bureau will continue to operate with interim leadership until a new recruitment exercise is completed.
With pressure mounting both locally and internationally, many Malawians will be watching to see whether the next round produces a candidate strong enough to restore full leadership to the ACB.
