Malawian academics in diaspora lash out at Tonse Government for "leadership crisis, corruption"

Malawi: A group of thirty-two Malawian academics and professionals in the diaspora has lashed out beleaguered Tonse Government for the "growing leadership crisis in Malawi and the worsening socio-economic conditions which have made life unbearable for ordinary Malawians".

The academics and professionals said in a strongly-worded statement issued on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, that they were disappointed that the promise of new dawn represented by the decisions of the High Court, sitting as the Constitutional Court, and the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, which nullified the 2019 presidential election and ordered a new presidential election, had not been fulfilled.

Reads part of the statement: “The Tonse Alliance government revealed, upon assuming power, mindboggling levels of looting and corruption committed under the previous government. Malawians expected that the new government would draw a line behind state looting and corruption, firstly, by investigating and prosecuting all those implicated and, secondly, by putting in place mechanisms to prevent the recurrence of such crimes. Indeed, in his own words, the newly elected president repeatedly proclaimed that one of his government’s priorities was to “clear the rubble” of corruption that had permeated the Malawian body politic. Malawians were hopeful that, at last, they had voted into power a government that would fight corruption not just with empty words but with concrete actions.”

The group, which includes Danwood Chirwa, Dr. Daniel Dube, James Kadyampakeni, Tom Likambale, and Linda L. Semu, claims that corruption and looting are worsening almost two years later.

They expressed concern about the frequency with which new corruption and looting scandals are revealed.

“These scandals have implicated those at the very top of the government, business people, civil servants, police, and military officials. In response, the government has, at best, exhibited an indifferent attitude and, at worst, behaved in a manner that suggests a coverup or an intention to obstruct the course of justice,” said the group in the statement.

Speaking to Times 360 Malawi, government Spokesperson Gospel Kazako, said the academics should rather analyse and reconsider the quality of human resources they develop, citing Malawi's predicament as a result of individuals produced by institutions of higher learning.

Malawi is facing severe economic challenges, with the government recently devaluing the local currency, the Kwacha, by 25%.

Prospects for a new four-year Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have been hampered because the Bretton Woods institution has insisted on the release of an audit report on foreign exchange misreporting at the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) that occurred between 2017 and 2019.