Without integrity no meaningful development can take place. Economic prosperity thrives under conditions of openness where duty bearers demonstrate answerability. People are assured of happy lives when leadership delivers on its promises. Unfortunately, the state of Malawi politics has taken worrying directions where leadership appears no longer interested in governing with integrity.  The promises made by Tonse Alliance can no longer be traced.

The Hi5 agenda of the Malawi Congress Party appears to have dissolved into oblivion where, for example, the notion of servant leadership has degenerated into a smoke screen for personal aggrandizement among the ruling elite. Rule of law has equally become mere rhetoric where, for example, the law for fighting corruption is applied selectively while the State machinery buys aiding corrupt cartels to frustrate the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Integrity at State House has been thrown to the dogs. State residences have become the den of robbers, an arena for scheming and designing all manner of operations bent at defrauding public coffers. State House is infested with presidential advisors and aides, majority of whom appear only to work as agents for the devil, conniving with corrupt business moguls in siphoning public funds.

The other day, a presidential advisor stole a parliamentary bill and crookedly sneaked it into Parliament in a mafia-style operation. Another presidential aide took upon himself the role of a broker to negotiate fuel importation and almost usurping the role of National Oil Company of Malawi. Another is reported to have gone all the way collecting hundreds of millions of Kwacha from a prominent businessman of Asian origin. The advisor is still walking free and happily serving at State House while daily chewing tax payers’ money.

You will know that integrity is completely thrown to the dogs at State House when a picture of two men showing off bundles of dollars circulates on social media strongly alleging the two as presidential staffers. It is therefore less surprising that the suspended Chief of Staff of State Residences was himself allegedly embroidered in the Zunneth Sattar high level corruption scandals.

Integrity has been thrown to the dogs in Malawi’s agriculture sector. Two days ago, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a ridiculous public statement in a botched attempt to respond to allegations that K30 billion purportedly for buying fertilizer under the subsidy program has gone down the drain.  Parliament made the revelation which has sent shockwaves across the nation since the money is alleged to have been swindled by conmen.

The attempt to respond to the matter by Ministry of Agriculture does not seem to help matters. It only exposes more rot and a looming procurement scandal where the Ministry entrusted a UK food company to broker fertilizer imports. To begin with, the UK company appears not to be in the line of fertilizer business as it appears to be a mere wholesale shop for meat products. Secondly, one wonders if proper due diligence on the company was done.

Thirdly, while the Malawi government has procurement laws and procedures, one need to be convinced if these rules were followed. Lastly, for goodness sake, Malawi government has vast experienced and well trained civil servants in matters of fertilizer imports. This scandal is an insult on the intelligence of these experienced civil servants who appear to be sidelined simply because political elites want to line their pockets through corrupt deals.

Integrity has been thrown to the dogs when the board of Admarc joins the bandwagon in siphoning close to K1 billion in allowances for a litany of nameless board meetings and fake trips while the institution wobbles to its knees. Soon, poor people will stand up for their rights. Soon, Malawians will rise to demand accountability.

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