BRIBERY EPIDEMIC! Police top
For the second time in a row, a survey by the University of Malawi (UNIMA) through its Centre for Social Research (CSR) and Afrobarometer has ranked the Malawi Police Service as the most corrupt institution in the country.
The study, presented in Blantyre revealed that 44 percent of respondents identified widespread corruption within the Malawi Police Service.
About half of the citizens surveyed admitted to paying bribes to avoid police-related problems, though fewer than one in ten paid bribes to officers for assistance.
The survey also highlighted corruption in other institutions, with the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) rated as the second most corrupt at 38 percent.
Business executives and civil servants were both listed at 36 percent, while the Malawi Revenue Authority stood at 35 percent.
Traditional leaders, judges, magistrates, Parliament members, and local government councilors were each identified by 33 percent of respondents as corrupt.
On the lower end, religious leaders were seen as the least corrupt, with only 16 percent expressing concerns.
Additionally, two-thirds of Malawians believe corruption has worsened in the past year. The survey further noted that most citizens fear negative consequences for reporting corruption, a barrier to addressing the issue.
Political affiliations continue to shape perceptions, with 80 percent of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) supporters believing the government is failing compared to less than half of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) supporters.
Efforts to get a reaction from police spokesperson Peter Kalaya were unsuccessful, as he did not pick up calls.
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