The Embassy of the United States of America welcomes the bold steps His Excellency President Lazarus Chakwera announced yesterday to further his administration’s fight against corruption in Malawi. Corruption poses a significant threat to Malawi by wasting public resources and undermining democracy and the confidence of citizens. Chargé d’Affaires Jeremey Neitzke stated, “We are encouraged by President Chakwera’s commitment to ensuring that Malawi’s accountability institutions are apolitical and that those engaging in acts of corruption are brought to justice. The U.S. government supports efforts to prevent corruption by encouraging government transparency and access to information, as well as to prosecute corruption.”

The United States and Malawi share democratic values and a belief that active citizens are the wellspring of democratic accountability. To safeguard development, democracy, and peace, we must make fighting corruption a priority. We concur with President Chakwera’s call to the citizens of Malawi to play an active role in the ongoing fight against corruption.