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Grace Malera

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grace Malera
Born8 May 1978
NationalityMalawian
Other namesGrace Tikambenji Malera
EducationUniversity of Malawi, University of the Free State
OccupationOmbudsman
PredecessorMartha Chizuma

Grace Tikambenji Malera (born 8 May 1978) is a Malawian lawyer who became the Ombudsman in Malawi in 2021.

Life

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Malera was born in 1978, and she was one of the daughters born to Rosalia-Janet and Dr. Willie Lipato.[1]

She took her first degree at the University of Malawi and she obtained her masters degree in South Africa at the University of the Free State.[2]

In 2002 she was called to the bar[2] and she went to work for the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) as a prosecution officer.[1]

In 2016 she left her position of executive secretary of the Malawi Human Rights Commission to become the executive director of Action Aid Malawi International. She worked for the Violence Against Women and Girls – Prevention and Response Programme from 2019 to 2021.[1]

She succeeded Martha Chizuma on August 2021.[3] Chizuma had been the first woman to be Malawi's Ombudsman. Chizuma went on the lead the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).[1]

On 2022 the President sacked his Minister of Agriculture and his deputy over the loss of K750 million from the Affordable Inputs Programme which was intended to subsidise subsistance farming. Malera's report in 2024 recommended prosecution of public officials involved in the fraudulent contract made with Bakaart Foods Limited. She said that fraud continued and forensic audits should take place of the funds operation. Her report was welcomed by the Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale.[4]

Chizuma had some issues as the Anti-Corruption Bureau Director and her contract was not renewed in 2024. The Deputy Director General Hillary Chilomba was made the Acting Director General from 5 June 2024.[5] The interview process had to be restarted after it was discovered by Malera and her Office of the Ombudsman that two people on the ACB's shortlist (including Chiloma), failed to meet the criteria required for the position.[6]

Private life

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Malera is a Catholic, and she and her husband have three children.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Online, Nation (2021-12-05). "Grace malera: second female ombudsman". Nation Online. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  2. ^ a b "Introducing the Malawi Ombudsman – Ms. Grace Malera". www.theioi.org (in German). Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  3. ^ Kondowe, Russell (2021-08-12). "Grace Malera appointed as Ombudsman Malawi 24 | Latest News from Malawi". Malawi 24. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  4. ^ "Ombudsman engages Government on farm input subsidy investigation findings". www.theioi.org (in German). Retrieved 2025-01-26.
  5. ^ "Update on ACB Acting Director General - Anti-Corruption Bureau Director". acbmw.org. 2024-06-05. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  6. ^ Pembamoyo, Steven (2025-01-25). "Chilomba, Taulo fail on ACB boss race". Nation Online. Retrieved 2025-01-25.