By Vincent Gunde
MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-Mzuzu Youth Anti-Corruption Movement has expressed worrisome over continued involvement of President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse cabinet Ministers into corruption and abuses of public resources.
The Movement has since called upon President Chakwera to take proactive and decisive action to stamp out corruption and abuse of office within their ranks.
The call comes after Chief Resident Magistrate court in Lilongwe issued a Warrant of Arrest to Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Kezzie Msukwa on his alleged involvement of corrupt practices on land deals in Lilongwe and Chipoka in Salima.
Judge Zione Ntaba of the High Court in Zomba ruled out the Warrant of Arrest for Msukwa saying it cannot be served to him while on a hospital bed in Lilongwe and this has received national condemnation not only by Malawians but also the Malawi Law Society (MLS) that the order not to arrest him was made on Saturday.
In a statement signed by its Team Leader Mathews Kajani, the Movement says is with dismay of the arrest of Msukwa allegedly for receiving money and a Mercedes Benz.
The Movement says is of the view that the case against Msukwa compromises the credibility and integrity that comes with the office of the cabinet Minister, asking the Minister to demonstrate leadership on issues of integrity by resigning effective immediately.
The grouping believes that resigning from office is a critical ethical decision for Msukwa because it is a basic moral resource that can reinforce integrity, buttress responsibility, support accountability and provide leverage and boundary drawing.
The Movement is therefore demanding a mechanism of instituting quarterly lifestyle audits, adopt and apply a strict code of conduct on cabinet ministers and all government officials that hold position of responsibility.
It is demanding the government to take necessary steps to permanently ban all individuals and international companies implicated in corrupt practices from ever doing business in Malawi as well as close international loopholes.
“The Ministry of Justice should make the Judiciary to quickly dispose corruption cases, allocate more resources to ACB and other corruption-fighting institutions and fast-track public sector reform that focus on improving financial management,” reads part of the statement.
The Movement has finally called upon the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to act with speed in prosecuting those arrested or land implicated including Msukwa.