Activist appeals for police officers’ welfare
Human rights activist, Emmie Chanika, has called on the government to attend to the welfare of police officers in the country as one way of combating corruption.
Chanika was speaking yesterday as her organisation; Civil Liberties Committee (Cilic) celebrated 25 years of existence in the country.
She argued that the poor working conditions of police can push officers to indulge in corrupt practices.
A 2015 report titled ‘People and Corruption’ by Transparency International cited police as the most corrupt among public service providers in Malawi.
However, Chanika related the development to lack of political will in the country.
In February 2015, President Peter Mutharika said the government would arrange with institutional housing establishments to make sure that the existing houses, including those belonging to Malawi Prison Service and Malawi Defence Force, are renovated as well as that new ones are constructed.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Bestone Chisamile, said, K100 million has been set aside for maintenance of police houses.
“I cannot safely say how many houses in the 2016/2017 national budget have been maintained this far and how much has been used from the K100 million, that is a technical issue and I have to consult. But to sum it all, we are underfunded and we are calling upon the corporate world to help us make better homes for our officers,” he said.
On Cilic’s silver jubilee celebration, Chanika said the journey on fighting for human rights has not been easy.
“In the 25 years of service, we have persevered and given birth to many activists and human rights bodies,” Chanika said.
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