As news of the appointment of Malawi’s former Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director Martha Chizuma at the World Bank spreads, social media has been flooded with messages of support, with many Malawians expressing pride in her achievement.
Chizuma’s appointment as Senior Integrity and Risk Specialist for East and Southern Africa at World Bank’s Headquarters in Washington D.C. was captured on Norwegian Embassy’s Facebook page on Friday 28th March.
Writing on his Twitter account, renowned poet and writer Onjezani Kenani congratulated her on her new post: “Wow, a huge congratulations, Ms. Martha Chizuma, for the new role at World Bank in Washington DC. In the end, the truth, alone, will triumph”.
Ediie Kulesi also wrote: “We knew her caliber belongs within international realm”
Rody Dukuze chipped in: “Congratulations to her. She survived the most dangerous job in Malawi!!!! Now she can enjoy her life comfortably!!!!
Another commentator noted: This simply means Malawi has brilliant professionals who can contribute to economic development but due to cruelty, greed and oppression by the government itself, such professionals do not carry out their duties effectively and efficiently.
“This is why Malawi is on position 144 in the ranking of 1 to 147 countries based on how happy the citizens are, with Finland on position 1” he added.
The former ACB boss won the hearts of the public for her relentless approach in the fight against corruption but although she enjoyed such admiration, she had a tumultuous relationship with the Chakwera administration; a development which put her in a collision course with some political elites
This was evident by her strange arrest and detention on December 6, 2022 at 4a.m. over allegations linked to a leaked audio recording, and in a dramatic turn of events, a troop of police officers invaded her residence in the wee hours to arrest her.
Her arrest, which many viewed as politically motivated, sparked outrage among civil society organizations, the international community, and ordinary Malawians and was seen as a setback in the country’s fight against graft, with critics accusing the government of undermining the ACB’s independence.
The office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) in a letter from Secretary to the President and Cabinet Coleen Zamba dated 31st January 2023, interdicted the ACB DG on the criminal allegations she was answering to over the leaked audio clip.
However due to mounting pressure from the public and the donor community particularly the US Government which threatened sanctions over her highly irregular arrest, the Malawi Government unconditionally withdrew the criminal allegations leveled against her.
Despite these obstacles, Chizuma remained steadfast in her mission to root out corruption. Her efforts to investigate powerful figures within the government and private sector drew both praise and criticism, with many hailing her as a symbol of integrity in a system plagued by graft
She is no stranger to controversy as her appointment to the position was initially rejected by the Public Affairs Committee of Parliament on 11th May 2021, in a typical case of parliamentarians flexing their political muscles but the decision was later rescinded.
Before becoming ACB’s Director General on 17th May 2022, Chizuma a holder of a Master’s Degree in International Economic Law from the University of East London, served as the country’s Ombudsman.
