Frustrated by the repeated demands for bribes from public officials to expedite paperwork, a German investor considered withdrawing from Malawi but has since put the decision on hold, awaiting corrective action.

Aaron Landt, CEO of the Landt Foundation, revealed in an interview following a meeting with Vice-President Michael Usi at Mudi State Residence in Blantyre yesterday that they had planned to withdraw all their proposed development projects in education, health, science, and research due to rampant corruption.

During the meeting, Landt expressed that their decision to leave had been temporarily postponed after Usi assured them that their concerns would be addressed.

Landt alleged that unnamed officials from the Blantyre City Council demanded bribes to accelerate their paperwork for a charitable project. He also recounted an incident where some city officials requested a two-day daily subsistence allowance (DSA) for a brief two-hour meeting.

“Some government officials create unnecessary delays, complicating our work,” Landt said.

He noted that initial interactions were positive and straightforward, but the situation deteriorated when officials began making unjustifiable monetary demands.

Vice-President Usi, who met with Landt and the foundation’s assistant manager and quality controller, Julian Balko, expressed disappointment over the situation and acknowledged the pervasive corruption that hampers national development. Usi promised to investigate and address the issue with the involved public officers.

“From the reports we receive, both through newspapers and meetings like these, it’s clear that corruption is a major issue stifling Malawi’s development,” Usi stated.

His comments come in the wake of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index data, which indicates a decline in Malawi’s fight against corruption over the past decade.

Andrew Kaponya, a developmental scholar and governance analyst at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, criticized the erosion of the country’s dignity due to corruption. He emphasized that those frustrated by corruption are often well-meaning individuals bringing donations intended to improve living standards.

Kaponya remarked, “Our commitment to combat corruption is increasingly becoming mere rhetoric with no substantial action. Everyone involved, directly or indirectly, must recognize that engaging in corruption is akin to undermining our nation.”

In August of the previous year, President Lazarus Chakwera condemned public officers who extorted K500 million from entrepreneur and philanthropist Napoleon Dzombe, which led to Dzombe abandoning a multi-billion kwacha international bus terminal project in Lilongwe.