BY JACK BANDA

She makes things difficult for me.

How she became the ACB director and how she started, being used by Chakwera to persecute people from the South doesn’t sit well with me.

However, looking at the political dynamics on the ground thus far, Martha Chizuma, if she can play her cards right, she can win both for Malawi and herself.

Time is running out on her. She needs to move fast and strategically. She is lucky now that Steven Kayuni has been removed by law from a position he was wasting her time and trying to sabotage her efforts.

Here is what she must do:

She must focus on cases that have come to ACB under her watch. Especially the Sattar’s list, oil deal and Mkaka, these need priority. Matemba is a corruption suspect, the cases ACB has from his time would be complicated and very difficult to win. He used to leak documents to Chilima and some lawyers.

There’s a provision in the constitution that Steven Kayuni can discontinue or take over cases in court. That is okay if he does that but the records would have shown that, she has taken suspects to court.

The other way of dealing with Steven Kayuni is to put him under investigation for his 372 days in a year allowance claims and the backroom amnesty he is giving to corruption suspects. If he is giving amnesty to his friends who are corruption suspects without Chizuma knowing, that alone brings a compelling case of corruption worth investigating, as such, Kayuni would be conflicted.

Chizuma must remember that, she gained popularity as ombudsman from the opposition side by focusing on cases involving direct government officials. She could do the same as ACB director. She has nothing to fear. Her support system right now should be the opposition, faith organisations, the donor community and those of us from the public that hate corruption and selective justice. It is a myth that the government can be in love with an ACB director that is truly fighting corruption.

So far, I would give credit to Martha Chizuma for the following:

1. The leaked phone conversation. She might not have intended for it to leak but it is good that it did. It helped Malawians to know her heart. It is from that conversation that she got herself new enemies and new friends.

2. The idea of giving the report that Chakwera demanded not only to Chakwera but also to the other heads of arms of government and donors. I wish it had gone to the public but what she did was good in the interest of her protection.

3. The ammendment of Corruption Practices Act to remove Steven Kayuni from interfering with corruption cases.

What she needs to watch out are people like Undule Mwakasula, Kamuzu Chiwambo etc, they are being paid by the regime to be a nuisance trying to paint the picture that she is incompetent and must resign. They are not doing the same to Thabo Nyirenda and Steven Kayuni because they are in the same boat.

There you are, I have been random but you get the point. Martha can win as ACB director if she focuses on her cases and not Matemba who is a corruption suspect himself. She can establish her authority and resolve if she can go for the untouchables.

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