President Lazarus Chakwera has decried a decade of broken trust between Malawians and public institutions.

Chakwera said this yesterday at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe during the swearing-in of members of a commission of inquiry into the arrest of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma.

Chakwera shakes hands with retired Judge Edward Twea as Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo looks on

He said: “Some of the causes of this lack of trust are recent, for in the past few months there have been investigations and arrests of public officers in positions of public trust.

“While this is a fulfilment of my promise to govern by the rule of law without shielding anyone, I also recognise that my commitment to expose every rot in the State apparatus has made it difficult for some citizens to know which public offices and institutions to trust.”

Chakwera also said lack of public trust may be attributed to historical issues, citing the apparent rigging of the May 2019 presidential election and previous commissions of inquiry that did not yield any positive results.

Chakwera cited inquiries into academicfreedom impasse between University of Malawi management and its lecturers in 2011 and the death of president Bingu wa Mutharika in 2012.

Banda: They only
have 14 days

The President also singled out the inquiry into the death of Polytechnic (now Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (Mubas), student Robert Chasowa and the misappropriation of maize at the Ministry of Agriculture.

He stressed that lack of tangible results from these inquiries has damaged trust in public institutions, saying it is time to correct this anomaly.

This will be the first inquiry under the Tonse Alliance government.

Chakwera also appealed to the citizenry to give the inquiry a chance.

He said: “Similarly, I want those of you I have appointed to this commission to be mindful of the things you are up against.

“I want you to remember that you have been tasked to establish the truth in a country where truth is obscured by other things that you must not allow to distract you or distort your view of reality.”

Chakwera, therefore, asked members of the commission to contribute to the restoration of trust in public institutions by producing a credible report with recommendations that will furnish him with facts about where the rot is in those institutions.

Earlier yesterday, Deputy Secretary to the President and Cabinet Janet Banda said in a statement that the commission is expected to submit a report to the President within 14 working days.

The President appointed the commission of inquiry in exercise of his powers under Section 89 (1) of the Constitution and Section 2 (1) of the Commissions of Enquiry Act.

Said Banda: “The commission shall act in accordance with the provisions of the Act and, subject thereto, shall have the power to investigate matters of public and national interest concerning allegations of improper conduct, abuse of office, and illegality surrounding the arrest of ACB director general and all matters ancillary.”

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