President Lazarus Chakwera has tasked the country’s first ever Complaints Tribunal of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to end the “legacy of political compromise” that has long gripped the spy agency.

The President said this when the Complaints Tribunal, led by its chairperson Redson Kapindu—a judge of the High Court of Malawi, Sarai Chisala-Tempelhoff and Brenant Chitanda took oaths at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe yesterday.

The tribunal, established under Section 26 of the National Intelligence Service Act, is designed to investigate complaints linked to intelligence services.

Chakwera said the country’s first intelligence agency was established in 1939 as the Political Intelligence Bureau under the Malawi Police.

Chisala-Tempelhoff signs after taking her oath

Despite going through reformation over the years, the agency still fell under political manipulation.

Said Chakwera: “We all know that in the history of this nation the intelligence service has been abused before or was used in a manner that should not be allowed in a democracy.

“Although intelligence was formally delinked from the Malawi Police Service in 2000 where it was called the Security and Intelligence Service, its politicisation continued.”

He challenged the tribunal, saying: “And, so today, we have entrusted you to see to it that this legacy of political compromise does not continue, for the NIS exists to serve all Malawians, not any political agenda.”

Chakwera further stated that the tribunal team has expertise in justice delivery, human rights protection and intelligence operations; hence, capable of delivering.

In his remarks, Kapindu said the tribunal would ensure that the NIS does not violate the rights of Malawians in the course of its duty.

Meanwhile, NIS director general Dokani Ngwira has said the tribunal will instil a spirit of professionalism and integrity.

“The tribunal has been setup so that our officers must operate with highest level of professional ethics.

“But also, it protects them, in a sense that, the NIS Act, for example, says that officers shall not be involved in political activities,” he said in an interview with the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation.

While a piece of legislation to set up a Complaints Tribunal was incorporated in the NIS Act in 2017, it is only now that it has been implemented.

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