REPUBLIC OF MALAWI STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. ARTHUR PETER MUTHARIKA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI ON THE THE COMMEMORATION OF THE NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION DAY AT MZUZU UPPER STADIUM 13TH DECEMBER, 2014 • Your Excellency Madam Gertrude Mutharika, the First Lady of the Republic of Malawi; • Your Honour Right Honourable Saulos Chilima, Vice President of the Republic of Malawi; • Mrs. Mary Chilima, spouse to the Vice President; • Your Lordship the Chief Justice, Anastasia Msosa, SC; • Chief Secretary to the Government, Mr. George Mkondiwa; • The Speaker of Parliament, Honourable Richard Msowoya, MP; • The Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Mr. Lucas Kondowe; • Members of the Diplomatic Corps; • The Chairman of the National Integrity Committee, Paramount Chief Kyungu; • Honourable Members of Parliament; • The Chief Executive Officer of Mzuzu City Council, Mr. Thomas Chirwa; • Leaders of various Political Parties; • Members of the Civil society; • The Media; • Distinguished invited guests; • Ladies and Gentlemen. It gives me great pleasure to join you all in the commemoration of the National Anti-Corruption Day. Our presence here, and even those who could not make it to this event, but are following the event through various media, signifies our stand and drive against corruption. I regard this year’s commemoration as a reflection of unity in the anti-corruption drive. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen The commemoration of this year’s anti corruption day is significant for a number of reasons. Firstly, Malawi today joins the rest of the world in the commemoration of the Anti- corruption day. As you may be aware, the rest of the world commemorated this day on 9th December. This demonstrates we do realize that we cannot engage in a lone battle against corruption in this global village where corruption is the number one enemy. It is also a fact that globalization comes with a number of problems. Therefore if we are isolated from the anti-corruption fight of the world, we are fighting a losing battle. Secondly, with the recent revelations of massive looting, dubbed Cash gate, at the Capital Hill and in other Government departments, this year’s commemoration gives us a chance to reflect on what happened and how we as a nation can ensure that we do not have a repeat of that evil and unfortunate occurrence. Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen Let me remind you of the promise I made during my inauguration in May this year. I said and I quote “Malawians need justice delivered and no one should blackmail the State by saying this is witch-hunting. The Police, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Director of Public Prosecutions and other security and law enforcement agencies are from this day free to operate independently but professionally”. End of quote. I uttered this statement and promised to live by this pledge as one way of demonstrating my commitment to upholding the rule of law in this country. I intend to see the anti-corruption drive being one of the most successful in Malawi. You may wish to note that my Administration has lived up to the promise of “arming the Anti-Corruption Bureau with human and financial capacity to do its job without the interference of the Executive arm of Government. This financial year alone, my Administration has increased the Bureau’s budgetary support by 167 percent. This is the first of its kind since the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. The idea behind the increased funding is to make sure that the Anti-Corruption Bureau operates without huddles. The increase is also going to assist in sealing the existing loopholes that escalate plundering of the public purse and prevent further occurrence. Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen It is important that Government should develop and maintain effective strategies to prevent and detect signs of various malpractices before they occur and escalate into national crises. My Administration has declared a fierce war against corruption by adopting the following measures: 1. Prosecution of all public officers and private sector individuals involved in corruption, theft, fraud and mismanagement of public resources; 2. Enhancing the capacity of governance institutions including the Auditor General’s Office, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Financial Intelligence Unit and Public Accounts Committee of Parliament; 3. Further strengthening of the financial management systems and institutions for detection of corruption, fraud and theft; and 4. Non-interference in procurement by depoliticizing the procurement processes. For the cited measures to achieve their intended outcomes, the formulated comprehensive action plan on public finance and economic management should be implemented through concerted efforts. Everyone, regardless of ethnicity, political divide, and social status should be part of the implementation. I strongly advocate for a shared vision that can see Malawi attaining a corrupt free status. I can see Malawi preventing another Cash gate and avoiding theft of public resources only if we work as a team. Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen As you may recall, it was the DPP-led Government which called for concerted efforts to the fight against corruption. It was within the same period when the National Anti-Corruption Strategy was launched and a bold commitment was made public through endorsement of the Declaration of Zero Tolerance to Corruption by the Late President, Professor Bingu wa Mutharika, may his soul rest in peace. The declaration that was made reflects Government’s position against corruption. It is a symbol of strong political commitment which requires constant attention through action rather than lip service. It is my wish, therefore, to invigorate the political commitment made by the former DPP leader. I strongly promise the whole nation that I am renewing this commitment as I have already declared Zero Tolerance to Corruption among the top priorities of my Government. I promise to continue supporting law enforcement agencies to effectively deliver their services. Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen I strongly believe that if I and the rest of my cabinet members take a firm step towards attainment of the Declaration of Zero Tolerance to Corruption, the battle line can be drawn. Let me state here that there will be no sacred cows or untouchables in my administration. Every person will be treated equal before the law. Prosecution of all public officers and private sector individuals involved in the plundering of public resources is very much possible under this Administration. We should also work towards recovering the resources that were plundered in one way or another. Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen It is a known fact that corruption scares away potential investors which Malawi is currently struggling to woo so that they come to this country. My Government is calling upon every person to regard this fight as a national issue. We have to join hands if we are to enjoy sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development in our country. Civil Society Organizations equally have an important role to play in the fight against corruption in Malawi. They should condemn the perpetrators of corruption and other economic crimes as they also protect the rights of the people. These perpetrators of corruption and fraud infringe on the rights of the people by abusing and misusing public resources. Your project approaches must include detection, rejection, exposing and reporting of any corrupt and fraudulent acts. Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen The media must continue to demonstrate their commitment to anti-corruption drive through their investigative journalism. I encourage you to expose those illicit deeds through your papers, radio and television stations. But at the same time I urge you to desist from publishing mere speculations and rumours. Work towards uncovering the truth about issues of corruption, fraud and other economic crimes. Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen There is a well known principle in law which says that “Justice delayed is justice denied”. I am aware of the challenges that the Judiciary is facing but I would urge each one of us to try our best to deliver service to the people as effectively as is practicable. It is my wish and that of my Government to ensure that we uphold and respect the supremacy of the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi which in turn promotes justice and a legal system that is accessible, affordable and people-centered. Distinguished Guests, Ladies, and Gentlemen At this point in time, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the people of Malawi for your commitment to the fight against corruption. I also wish to acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of our development and cooperating partners, the Royal Norwegian Government, the Irish Government, DFID, GiZ and others for the continued support towards good governance. I wish to commend the Bureau and other law enforcement agencies for the efforts being put in the anti-corruption drive. Let us continue working together in the fight against corruption. As you are aware, a successful fight against corruption will result in huge financial savings being made and these savings would go a long way in helping our development agenda by procuring medicines for our public hospitals, books for our schools, and paying teachers, among other things. With this few remarks ladies and gentlemen, let me invite all of us in this country to join hands in the fight against corruption for a better Malawi. I thank you for your attention. MAY GOD BLESS MOTHER MALAWI
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 12:02:01 +0000