Chakwera’s clock ticking
Chakwera, wants detailed report in 14 days
President Lazarus Chakwera is remaining with a few hours to withdraw the interdiction of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director Martha Chizuma or face nationwide protests.
The ultimatum issued by civil rights groups last week also involves Colleen Zamba, the Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet.
Zamba is the one who authored Chizuma’s interdiction letter on allegations of misconduct over the leaked phone conversation.
In her chat with a colleague, the ACB chief expressed her frustrations on the corruption case involving a UK based businessman Zuneth Sattar.
In the letter issued last Tuesday, Zamba indicated that Chizuma’s interdiction was in line with the Malawi Public Service Regulations 42(3) as read with Regulation 42 following criminal defamation charges that have been levelled against the ACB chief in court.
This did not please civil rights groups who issued a joint statement and set today, as the deadline for the government to reverse the decision or face protests.
They claimed that Chizuma’s interdiction, coincided with the alleged ACB’s warrant of arrest for some senior government officials.
They further argued that Zamba’s action is questionable, illogical and that it offends the prevailing laws in the circumstances of the matter.
Some of the organisations that signed the document are Youth and Society, Human Rights Defenders Coalition, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency, Malawi Human Rights Resource Center (MHRRC), Women’s Manifesto Movement, Centre for Civil Society Strengthening, NGO-Gender Coordinating Network and the National Anti-Corruption Alliance.
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