Malawi has been grappling with systemic challenges that have undermined the effectiveness of its laws and institutions for far too long.

The country’s legal framework, meant to ensure fairness and accountability, has been abused and circumvented by those engaged in criminal activities, both in the public and private sectors.

This is not a new issue, but one that has lingered in the background, only now surfacing with greater intensity as the public begins to acknowledge the realities that have always been present.

It is becoming clear that the time has come for Malawi to confront these persistent issues head-on and take meaningful steps towards addressing them.

One of the major areas where these abuses have manifested is in the realm of labour rights.

There have been numerous instances of gross violations of labour laws, especially in workplaces where employees are subjected to exploitation, poor working conditions and unjust treatment.

Sadly, these transgressions have often gone unnoticed or unaddressed by the very authorities tasked with upholding labour rights.

The institutions that are supposed to safeguard the welfare of workers appear to be either unwilling or unable to carry out their responsibilities, leaving employees vulnerable to mistreatment and abuse.

It is disheartening to see how these laws are routinely flouted, and yet, no real action is taken to bring the offenders to justice.

While government institutions and ministries often face the brunt of public criticism when something goes wrong, the private sector has largely been allowed to operate with impunity.

This uneven focus on government versus private sector accountability creates a disjointed system where problems in the private sector are overlooked or ignored.

Take, for example, the issue of price manipulation by traders. Even though agencies like the Competitions and Fair Trading Commission are in place to monitor such practices, traders have continued to hike prices without consequence.

The lack of enforcement of these laws is a direct reflection of the government’s failure to prioritise the protection of consumers, allowing businesses to exploit the market for their own gain.

This lax approach to enforcement is not confined to the private sector alone.

It is also deeply embedded within government policies and practices.

Political expediency often dictates the actions of government officials, as they choose not to enforce laws or regulations that might result in a loss of support from key constituencies.

A glaring example of this is the failure to address the issue of street vendors, who occupy public spaces with their merchandise, disrupting urban order.

While the law mandates that these vendors should be removed from the streets, authorities have consistently turned a blind eye, fearing the political repercussions of angering voters who depend on street trading for their livelihood.

One can only speculate how many votes the governing party would lose if they were to follow through on enforcing the law and