This archive report was first published on 7 October 2019.
Malawi's public protector, Martha Chizuma, has been at the forefront of the battle against corruption in the country. Appointed in December 2015, she is the youngest person and only the second woman to hold the office.
Chizuma's journey has taken her to the front lines of the war against misgovernment and impunity in aid-dependent Malawi. She has uncovered a range of abuses, including a scandal in which 160 women had their uteruses removed due to negligence in 2018.
Another inquiry found that around 250 pieces of archaic farm equipment were bought and abandoned following a $50 million loan from India in 2011. The scam, dubbed 'Tractorgate', led the government to sell all the equipment to private individuals and farmers at below their purchase price.
Although no one has been prosecuted, Chizuma has obtained a rare public apology from the agriculture ministry. Her successes have sparked threats and a smear campaign, but she has defiantly rejected the allegations.
Chizuma's office has also seen its budget slashed this year, and she has been warned against 'abusing' her position by government spokesman Mark Botoman. However, she has been widely praised for her courage and tenacity.
Lazarus Chakwera, leader of the largest opposition Malawi Congress Party, said Chizuma would go down in history as 'one of the shining lights of integrity on top of a hill in whose valleys remain the dark shadows of institutional corruption and impunity across the public sector'.
