By Suleman Chitera
Yesterday, Norman Chisale reminded Malawians that leadership can still mean action—not rehearsed press statements or endless task forces. His unannounced visit to the Department of Immigration and the immediate arrest of an officer accused of soliciting bribes delivered a message that resonated across the country: corruption does not have to be tolerated, negotiated with, or explained away.
By openly inviting citizens to report similar abuses and declaring that passports are no longer obtained through “extra cash,” Chisale gave voice to millions who have been humiliated, delayed, and financially drained by corrupt public servants. For once, Malawians witnessed something rare in public administration: swift, visible accountability.
No committees.
No excuses.
No shielding of rotten apples.
Just action.
For that, Norman Chisale deserves credit.
But praise without challenge is flattery—and the nation cannot afford flattery right now.
If this anti-corruption drive is genuine, if it is more than a one-day performance designed to trend briefly before business resumes as usual, then it must not stop at Immigration. It must be extended, urgently and aggressively, to the Road Traffic and Safety Services (RTSS).
At RTSS, corruption is not an anomaly. It is institutionalized.
It operates openly, predictably, and with confidence. Law-abiding citizens are deliberately frustrated—sent from desk to desk, told systems are down, files are missing, officers are unavailable. Delays are manufactured. Confusion is weaponized. Exhaustion is the strategy.
This is not inefficiency.
It is extortion.
Those who refuse to pay are punished with endless waiting. Those who pay are rewarded with “miracles.” Licences are processed at lightning speed. Vehicles are registered in hours. Driving tests are “passed” before they are properly taken. What should require weeks of procedure is completed in a single afternoon—provided the right palms are greased.
RTSS has perfected a system where honesty is penalized and corruption is incentivized.
Worse still, this is not merely a governance issue; it is a public safety crisis. When licences are bought instead of earned, roads become death traps. Every unqualified driver waved through RTSS offices is a potential killer on Malawi’s highways. Corruption here does not just steal money—it costs lives.
So, Dear Hon Norman Chisale, if your stand at Immigration was not symbolic theater, take that same fire to RTSS. Storm those offices. Demand answers. Arrest the bribe-takers. Invite victims to speak openly. Dismantle the syndicates that have converted public service into private enterprise.
Malawians are exhausted by selective toughness. They are tired of corruption being confronted only where it is convenient or politically attractive. What the public demands is consistency. What the moment requires is courage.
You have shown that you can act.
Now prove that yesterday was not an exception—but the beginning.
