Chizuma speaks on ACB appointment

 Newly appointed Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general

 Martha Chizuma has vowed to “never betray the trust” that President Lazarus Chakwera and Malawians have bestowed on her.

In her reaction yesterday, Chizuma in a written interview made a serious promise not only to the appointing authority but also to Malawians who are eager to see what change she will bring at the graft-busting body.

She said: “The only assurance I can give at the moment is that to the best of my ability I will never betray the trust that God, the President, the people of Malawi and Parliament have bestowed on me.”

With the controve rsy surrounding her confirmation, Chizuma is admittedly ready for the new job amid high expectations from the public that has watched her turn the once silent Office of the Ombudsman into a trustworthy public protector.

Without dwelling much on the negatives that characterised the appointment process, she said the twists and turns of the whole process were “neither surprising nor unexpected”.

“I thank God that eventually we are here. I thank the President for entrusting me with this position, and I thank the people of Malawi that have been very supportive through and through. I thank Parliament, specifically the Public Appointments Committee [PAC], for finally confirming me. I am very grateful to all,” said Chizuma.

When asked what her priority areas will be at the graft-busting body that her predecessor Reyneck Matemba acknowledged was overwhelmed with cases and yet had financial and human resource challenges, Chizuma said she first needed to be in office to appreciate the workload.

She stated: “The expectations are high indeed. But to be effective, I need to be strategic in how I approach this work. This demands that I have a clear picture of the workload within

 the Bureau. I hope to be able to do this within the next few days. Only after that can I confidently respond on what my priorities will be.”

Asked when she will report for duties at the ACB, Chizuma was uncertain, saying “discussions are underway with the appointing authority on when I will start work.”

She joins the ACB after a stellar performance as Ombudsman, a position she has held since 2015.

With her appointment, there will be need to appoint a new Ombudsman.

Section 122 of the Malawi Constitution outlines the

 following procedure for the appointment of the Ombudsman: “Nominations for appointment to the office of Ombudsman shall be received from the public by way of a public advertisement placed by the Clerk to the National Assembly and the successful candidate shall be appointed by the Public Appointments Committee in accordance with the requirements of this section.”

Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) deputy whip in Parliament Martha Lunji has called on the new ACB head not to be used by politicians but follow the law in the fight against corruption in the country.

Lunji, who is also Nkhotakota North East legislator, made the remarks in Parliament yesterday as part of her contribution to Chakwera’s State of the Nation Address that was delivered in the House last Wednesday.

She accused the Tonse Alliance government of embarking on selective justice in its fight against corruption, saying the administration targeted the opposition when a number of its members have been involved in corruption.

While congratulating Chizuma on her confirmation as ACB director general, she advised her to be guided by the law.

She said: “I would like to congratulate my name sake Martha Chizuma. Don’t be allowed to be used by politicians.”

In his response to the Sona, Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa avoided commenting on Chizuma’s appointment, but said the opposition are in support of Chakwera’s stand against corruption.

Asked in an interview what he makes of Chizuma’s appointment and confirmation, Nankhumwa said he was waiting for a report from the DPP legal affairs spokesperson in Parliament.

On his part, Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda said Chakwera’s government is not shielding anyone in the fight against corruption, adding the ACB is operating without interference.

He said: “Even during the last Anti-Corruption Day commemorations, the former ACB director general [Matemba] indicated that for the  first time, ACB is operating freely and getting the financial support required to fight corruption.”

Chimwendo Banda challenged that if the opposition feels something is going wrong in the operations of ACB, Parliament has the powers to summon ACB.

Earlier, PAC chairperson Joyce Chitsulo submitted to Parliament a report on Chizuma’s confirmation and members of Parliament voted to have the report noted.

She also saluted Dowa North East legislator Sam Kawale for moving PAC to consider rescinding its decision of not confirming Chizuma and also having PAC change the voting system from secret to roll call.

However, Mulanje Bale parliament Victor Musowa wondered what was special about allowing a change in the voting system for Chizuma when other people appointed by the President have previously been rejected by the same process.

Responding to Musowa, Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara justified the changes in Chizuma’s confirmation, saying just like the nullification of the May 2019 presidential election to follow the 50+1 voting system, the change did not affect the past elections.

She said there was an issue at hand that needed to be dealt with and proper processes had to be followed to ensure that the issue is resolved