By Burnett Munthali
Malawi has reopened the search for a permanent head of its Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), extending a leadership vacuum at the country’s principal anti-graft institution that has persisted since mid-2024.
The development was reported by Nation Online, which said the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs has advertised the Director General position for the third time in two years.
The vacancy arose after former ACB Director General Martha Chizuma’s contract ended in June 2024. Since then, the bureau has operated under acting leadership, with lawyer Gabriel Chembezi currently serving as acting director general.
The latest recruitment exercise follows an unsuccessful process launched in December 2025. According to the report, all eight candidates who reached the shortlisting stage were ultimately unsuccessful, leading authorities to reopen the competition.
The prolonged search has raised concerns among civil society organisations and governance advocates about the effectiveness and independence of Malawi’s anti-corruption efforts.
Willy Kambwandira, executive director of the Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency, called for greater transparency over the failed recruitment process. He said authorities should explain how the candidates were assessed and why none of the shortlisted applicants met the required standard.
Kambwandira warned that repeated recruitment exercises without a clear explanation could fuel public suspicion that the process is being extended to favour a particular candidate.
National Advocacy Platform chairperson Benedicto Kondowe also expressed concern, arguing that prolonged reliance on acting leadership could weaken the bureau’s institutional authority and its ability to pursue long-term anti-corruption strategies.
Kondowe said uncertainty at the top could affect staff confidence, strategic planning and public perceptions of the ACB’s independence, particularly when the institution is investigating individuals or organisations with significant political or economic influence.
He argued that acting leadership should serve only as a temporary arrangement while authorities complete the appointment of a substantive director general.
Ombudsman Grace Malera said her office had no further role to play in the latest recruitment process. Her office had previously directed the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to restart the recruitment exercise and, in January 2025, disqualified Hillary Chilomba and Oscar Taulo from consideration after determining that they did not satisfy the relevant legal requirements.
Justice Minister Charles Mhango defended the government’s cautious approach, saying authorities wanted to avoid making a rushed decision over an important national institution.
Mhango said the current administration inherited the situation when it assumed office on September 16, 2025, noting that the ACB had already been operating under an acting director since 2024.
He said the government remained committed to filling the position and assured the public that the matter would be resolved.
Under Section 5(1) of Malawi’s Corrupt Practices Act, the preferred candidate’s name is submitted to the President for appointment, with the appointment subject to confirmation by Parliament’s Public Appointments Committee.
The renewed recruitment process is therefore expected to determine who will eventually take permanent charge of the country’s anti-corruption agency after more than two years of leadership uncertainty.
