President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi has made several significant changes to his administration following the release of a report by the Commission of Inquiry. Steve Kayuni, the Director of Public Prosecutions, has been fired and replaced with Legal Aid Bureau Director Masauko Chamkakala, effective immediately. However, the President has decided to uphold his previous decision not to remove Anti-Corruption Bureau Director General Martha Chizuma from office, following the leaking of an audio clip which was a recording of a phone conversation she had.
President Chakwera addressed the nation on the actions he intends to take following the release of the report, which looked into the arrest of Chizuma. He stated that no member of his cabinet ordered the arrest of Chizuma or even knew about her arrest prior to her actual arrest. He has challenged anyone who has evidence that any cabinet member was involved in the arrest of Chizuma to come forward and bring evidence.
Additionally, President Chakwera has instructed Inspector General of Police Merlyn Yolamu to report the conduct of Deputy Police IG for Administration, Happy Mkandawire and Deputy IG for Operations Casper Chalera to the Malawi Police Service Commission over what he calls insubordination. According to Chakwera, Mkandawire ignored a presidential directive relayed to him through Justice Minister Titus Mvalo, to release Chizuma unconditionally, describing it as unlawful.
Overall, President Chakwera’s actions have been met with mixed reactions from various quarters of society. While some have praised the President for taking decisive action, others have criticized the report and the actions taken by the President, stating that it did not meet their expectations.
