Malawi’s President Joyce Banda has sacked her cabinet amid allegations of widespread corruption in government.
Several officials have been caught allegedly with money hidden under their beds and in their cars, reports the BBC’s Raphael Tenthani from Malawi.
Last month, top finance ministry official Paul Mphwiyo, who was seen as an anti-corruption crusader, was shot and wounded, our reporter says.
Western donors have been urging Ms Banda to tackle corruption.
Malawi is a poor African state, heavily dependent on financial aid from the European Union (EU) and other foreign powers.
‘High levels of fraud’
Ms Banda’s office said a new cabinet would be appointed in due course, without elaborating.
She called a crisis meeting of the cabinet before her office announced that it had been dissolved, our reporter says.
At a news conference on Wednesday, Ms Banda said she had appointed a special team, made up of police and government officials, to do a financial audit across all government departments.
Our reporter says the shooting of Mr Mphwiyo opened a can of worms with the media awash with reports of unscrupulous civil servants conniving with businessmen to fleece the government of millions of dollars through dubious contracts.
Mr Mphwiyo, the budget director in the finance ministry, was shot as he drove into his residence in the upmarket Area 43 suburb of the capital, Lilongwe, on 13 September.
The shooting was “attack aimed at silencing him and the government in the fight against high levels of corruption and fraud”, Ms Banda’s office said at the time.
Four suspects were arrested over the shooting, our reporter says.
About 10 junior government officials have been arrested so far for suspected corruption, Reuters news agency reports.
BBC
Joy
October 11, 2013 at 1:29 am
Girl Power!
FuManchu
October 11, 2013 at 3:27 am
Woman of steel!
inkotyo
October 11, 2013 at 3:46 am
Noti ba Dora.. malabishi
Ba fish
October 11, 2013 at 5:26 am
ema girls a yeah
inkotyo
October 11, 2013 at 6:35 am
Ankantu kano ukutombesha….
Mpangula Mputyu aka TeamDoraPetauke2013
October 11, 2013 at 7:03 am
Ukwa cannot do this despite his own Party Sec General alluding to widespread corruption in Govt and Tribalism.
Ukwa is SATAN re-incarnated and practices SATANISM
Sobongo
October 11, 2013 at 7:27 am
Sata, do the same man!
voters card
October 11, 2013 at 8:36 am
IRON LADY! Can our clay-made leaders take a leaf from this noble woman who wants to push Malawi ahead! Reminds me of Mwanawasa!
ba wiso
October 11, 2013 at 11:16 am
good move my Joyce.
KANANGA
October 11, 2013 at 11:36 am
The first thing she did `sell` the presdo chopper bought by Wa mutarika & gave money to pipo in need.
Second, dissolve the entire corrupt cabinet. Who is allergic to corruption between Ukwa and Joyce?
Maybe the first lady Dr C Ozokwo (mama C) should convince him.Otherwise…
Ngoza Jane
October 11, 2013 at 11:54 am
nothing of the sort happened please dig deeper she did not give the money to the needy
soup abodobo bupalo kawama tatwakaye
October 11, 2013 at 2:42 pm
GIRL POWER BUT NGATI ANKALFWITI MUNGASILI BABA (big hand mama J Banda)
BANYANGA NDOLA
October 11, 2013 at 3:35 pm
That’s what we need in Zambia, Sata needs to do that as well. These Ministers are just old and tired and few of them are working..
Bungo Bungo man
October 11, 2013 at 3:40 pm
A President with balls.
NGOMBEILEDE
October 11, 2013 at 3:44 pm
If a Woman’s DID it in Malabi (Malawi), What about male counter parts in Southern Africa. EAT ZAMMBIA CLEAN