ACB, Nice team up to curb corruption

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has teamed up with National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) area civic education coordinators in Karonga District to curb corruption at community level.

Speaking during a training workshop yesterday, ACB senior public education officer Catherine Nkhoma said it is high time civic education officers graduated from sensitising communities about evils of corruption to empowering them on how to report the malpractice.

She said: “As public education department for the Anti-Corruption Bureau, we think that people are currently aware of corruption, and that it is high time civic education officers empowered communities on how to report malpractices that are taking place in their areas.

“Therefore, we want the Nice volunteers to be vigilant and empower communities so that they stand and say ‘no’ to corruption.”

Nkhoma said most of the times, people in rural areas are afraid of reporting cases of corruption to relevant authorities; hence, the malpractice is increasingly taking place.

Karonga Nice district civic education officer Christobel Shaba said  her office is currently receiving reports of maladministration of government-funded projects because community structures are suspected to be corrupt.

She said: “It is of great concern that unlike in the past where only government officials were alleged to be involved in corruption, community structures such as area development committees are also suspects involved in the malpractice.

“Currently, our office is registering increased cases of misappropriation of public funds such as the Malawi Social Action Fund [Masaf] where community leaders are including ghost workers in the programme.” n