The European Union has expressed worry over Malawi’s futile efforts to combat corruption, arguing that the results have fallen short of expectations.
Rune Skinnerbach, EU ambassador to Malawi, expressed the concern yesterday, April 23, when he hosted some local journalists to a cocktail at Protea Hotel Ryalls in Blantyre.
The ambassador told the press that it is very frustrating that efforts to combat corruption in Malawi are bearing no fruits.
Skinnerbach, who has been in the country for over two years, mentioned the recent revelation that the Malawi government is still doing business with companies related to Zuneth Sattar, who is suspected of corruption by the British government, as one of the EU concerns.
“A clear concern after Cash-gate has been that we want Malawi back on track. A clear concern is the welfare of the Malawians. A clear concern is that the fight against corruption is not as successful as it should be. This issue of paying funds to allegedly Sattar-related companies is disturbing for the optics,” said Skinnerbach.
However, the ambassador said that the EU is still very close to Malawi, and very much engaged in governance issues which he said is one of the EU’s three sectors of focus together with Greenesilient growth and human development.
Skinnerbach further reminded interlocutors in the government of the importance of transparency and making clear statements on why some decisions are being taken.
He has also reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to continue building a classical donor-beneficiary relationship with Malawi.
“EU has been in Malawi since 1976 and we have been trying to be a reliable development partner and we have developed the partnership that we have in Malawi from a classical donor-beneficiary relationship to gradually become a much more equal, much more political, much more mature partnership.
“This is happening through building trust and confidence. This is happening through dialogue and it’s a context in which we continue openly to spread our values and principles. One of them is democracy that we know Malawi is a democratic beacon in the sub-region, but it’s also a country where we can keep improving on the governance side,” he added.
The EU organized its first-ever Anti-Corruption Symposium last year in November and it continues to make its presence felt in the fight against acts of impairing integrity, virtue, or moral principle in governance issues.
