Speaking on Friday on expectations for the inaugural year of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government, CSO leaders warned that Malawians will no longer settle for political rhetoric, demanding visible and measurable reforms. Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT) executive director Willy Kambwandira in a written response emphasised that government must be proactive. “Reflecting on where we are coming from as a country, our expectations are clear: the government must move from rhetoric to measurable actions on governance and transparency,” he said.
The CSOs demands also include implementation of economic recovery policies that will resuscitate Malawi’s ailing economy, which they claim worsened during the Malawi Congress Party’s (MCP) five-year term. “We expect strict enforcement of the procurement and public finance laws, full disclosure and accountability on implementation of set austerity measures by the government, but most importantly, we expect to see real consequences for abuse of office and public funds regardless of rank and political affiliation,” Kambwandira stated. He further said the government should ensure there is no selective justice, pointing out that Malawians cannot have another year of impunity disguised as reform.
He said: “We also expect to see progress and swift prosecution of all high profile corruption cases involving both the current and the previous senior government officials.” Sharing these sentiments, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) national chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa called for stronger political will. He said: “Over the past year, the country has witnessed persistent governance challenges, including concerns around public financial management, enforcement of anti-corruption measures and transparency in public procurement and service delivery. “These issues have continued to undermine public trust in institutions and weaken confidence in government systems.” “The time has come for the government to move away from policies meant only for political gains at the expense of the poor,” he warned.
