Chizuma Inquiry Report Sparks Hot Debate
BY: DRAXON MALOYA
There are hot debates going on in various social media platforms on the report delivered on Tuesday by the Commission of inquiry set by President Lazarus Chakwera to investigate circumstances leading to the arrest of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma on December 6th 2022.
Most observers say the released report misses its objective as it crucifies Chizuma over a year since she was exposed for sharing protected information to outsiders, the president had already forgiven the ACB Director General on the matter.
Several legal minds and Civil Society Organizations (CSO) leaders wondered as to how the Commission of Inquiry instituted to fact-find Chizuma’s December 6 arrest could arrive at recommending that she must be investigated for her criminal conduct, which is contrary to the formation of the commission.
Commenting on the matter through his Facebook page, one of the legal minds who is also one of the Democratic Progressive Party presidential hopefuls, Honourable Bright Msaka SC argued that Malawians are complaining that the report is missing important points mainly considering what was intended to be achieved by it’s Term of References (TORs).
Msaka argued that it is clear that the TORs for the Commission of Inquiry were not intended to establish the truth surrounding the arrest adding that the it has made no finding of relevance or of substance, those people resisting the fight against corruption have won this round.
“They were carefully crafted to give the appointing authority ammunition to go after Chizuma’s jugular and we the public, were only hoodwinked into believing that we were all chasing the same rabbit, the Government had a different agenda,” wrote Msaka.
Moving forward, Msaka advised that Malawians should no longer believe that every Commission of Inquiry can be established for a noble purpose setting a vivid example of the Martha Chizuma Commission which he said was established to cover up serious Government mischief.
“Imagine the Commission’s finding that ‘order of command’ no longer applies in the Police and the Minister of Justice disclosed in Parliament that there are some people in the Tonse Government who are resisting the fight against corruption and that is on record even in the Hansard,” he added.
Human rights and governance advocate, Undule Mwakasungula described the Commission’s report as total whitewash and a waste of Malawian tax payers resources as it sanitizes political accountability stating that it should be the Parliament instituting an independent inquiry as it is it’s duty to hold the executive accountable.
“It is totally unacceptable, Parliament has failed Malawians and ACB Director Martha Chizuma as it was its responsibility to commission investigation in order to hold the President and his Executives accountable, failure to provide oversight over the executive is worrying and disturbing Malawi’s democracy seem to be on sick bed and is probably in ICU under this Tonse Government,” Mwakasungula said.
The veteran human rights and governance advocate further emphasized that from the on set the credible institution to commission an inquiry into Martha Chizuma saga was Parliament unlike the Presidential inquiry created to whitewash the entire matter with delays and in competences.
The Executive Director for Social Action for Development, Isaac Cheke Ziba added to the debate by saying either of the following two things have happened in this exercise: either the TORs of the inquiry were fraudulent in nature and not intended for the purpose the President communicated to the nation or the Commissioners did not apply themselves properly to the task adding that either way, we are in trouble as a nation regarding the fight against corruption.
Ziba said either the Secretary to the President and Cabinet has redacted the report of the Commission either out of her own volition or on directives from the President because of the findings on knowledge and involvement of the Executive arm of government.
“We expected a full report and not a redacted one, Colleen Zamba, who we consider her tenure having become untenable after the Buluma explosive revelations about her conduct in NOCMA Board, is once again proving to the nation that she is ill prepared to serve in the office she is holding, she must either resign or the Head of State should fire her.
Ironically, writing on his Facebook page the government spokesperson, Gospel Kazako positioned himself into defense arguing that the remaining part of the report was not presented to the President saying it will instead be released to the public as soon as he completes reading and studying it.
During the swearing-in of members of a commission of inquiry into the arrest of Martha Chizuma, President Lazarus Chakwera decried a decade of broken trust between Malawians and public institutions.
