The Minister of Justice, Charles Mhango, has warned that government will not reward civil society organisations (CSOs) or their leaders who use demonstrations as a stepping stone to secure public appointments.

Mhango made the remarks in Lilongwe during a multi-stakeholder dialogue on anti-corruption organised by Youth and Society (YAS) Network and its partners.

“We have seen people being rewarded with public appointments simply because they were active in violent demonstrations and used those platforms as a launchpad to secure positions,” he said.

The Minister stressed that Malawians trust the civil society space to represent their voices—not to advance personal interests or seek recognition through government appointments.

Meanwhile, the Acting Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) reaffirmed the Bureau’s commitment to strengthening anti-corruption reforms aimed at transforming the institution into a more effective force in the fight against corruption.

Youth and Society Executive Director, Charles Kajoloweka, described corruption as a persistent threat to Malawi’s development progress and called for collective action to combat the vice.

“Corruption remains a major development threat,” Kajoloweka said. “But the coming in of the new administration gives us an opportunity to tackle it decisively and rebuild our institutions for the benefit of all Malawians.”

He urged all Malawians to join hands in the fight against corruption.