It is now official! It is confirmed! The country’s graft busting body, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) now has a new director general. No news is good news, but this one is really exciting news!
Perhaps after receiving a week long criticism from the general public; including messages of planned demonstration by Human Rights Defenders Coalition – HRDC, to demand a confirmation of Madame Martha Chizuma as the ACB’s director general, the Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of the Parliament, on Monday this week, did all that could be done to validate the appointment of the first female director general ever.
The development sent ripples of joy to most Malawians; especially those who have original hope in the woman, bearing in mind how much of a workaholic she proved to be while serving as the country’s ombudsperson. The young woman is a national asset. Her professional records coupled with her courage are already sufficient evidence that Malawi now has right weaponry in place ready to go to war against corruption. Even the international community has also congratulated Madame Chizuma; bearing witness that indeed Malawians can now have another ray of hope.
It is like Malawi has signed a new football striker with a clean scoring sheet, so the team manager and the whole technical panel can go home and happily have a cup of tea knowing surely well that after tomorrow’s game, they will bag a goal or two home.
Please, get me right here: I am not saying Madame Chizuma’s appointment signifies the end of corruption in the country, but at least the hope is fresher again that after buying a new broom, the house will look tidier than ever before.
Call me whatever names but I, for one, am a pathological hater of corruption in whatever form or design. Malawi, as our country, is a terrible victim of this vice and yet by now, the country would have been way better in terms of social economic development. But because of this endemic, everything developmental ends almost in its embryonic stage after some ill minded people in charge of projects and programs siphon the resources into their personal accounts.
It is even more embarrassing to note that corruption is equally rampant right in the churches and mosques where one would say this is a sacred place and so such a vice has no space. Church projects just stall when members contribute towards its completion within a given time period. Unfortunately, those who are privileged with management of the church affairs take advantage if that and begin to divert the resources meant for God’s glory.
Now in such a scenario, the question always is: if such members do not discipline themselves on church resources, can they contain their thievery on government resources? An obvious response is no!
This evidently means that, besides fighting the real battle of corruption, Madame Chizuma will also have another battle of uprooting the corrupt mindset of most Malawians through civic education and what have you!
My personal message to Madame Chizuma is so basic and direct to the point: Madame, do nothing but your job! I know it is not an easy task but it is doable. I know you as a believer of the word of God. So, ask Him to be your shield in serving and saving His people; and like David, you will defeat this monster! Be strong; stand the pressure and we will win it together. Let the Book of 1 Samuel 17: 32-51 be spur our hope and give us extra strength. Together will triumph, for we are all in the fight!
When Professor Patrick Lumumba was in the country last month, he told the President, Dr Lazarus Chakwera that the fight against corruption is not for faint hearted people. Corruption is a deadly dragon which fights back when one dares fight it. I know you already know that too! People will call you all sorts of names just to frustrate; they use all sorts of tactics, threats inclusive just to scare you away but go you go!
DPP has the biggest members in Malawi. All they need is a leader respected across board. Chilima is the one who showed no respect to Peter Mutharika and is the cause of all this division… Martha will leave this post in Shame
She is there to fight DPP and make aure party is finished so MCP to have nobody fear of. Thanks for the position madam.