1. Bishop Martin Mtumbuka: Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Karonga. Bishop Mtumbuka has combined his pastoral duties with civic obligations to speak, lead and inspire the communities he oversees and also speak on behalf of the down trodden. He has been steadfast in calling out to people that attack the elderly and condemn those that have been seeking to kill persons with albinism. He is a strong social justice voice, that has remained the voice of the voiceless.
2. Mr. Joshua Chisa Mbele: Businessman, Politician and Governance activist, Mr. Chisa Mbele represents a new generation of activists seeking to enhance accountability and harness the power of social media. He is the most arrested and sued activist for speaking out against the regime, and he remains among the few that have continued civic activism as many of activists and voices have been muted by those who do not want to account to Malawians. Mr Chisa Mbele leads Citizens Against Impunity.
3. Prophet Shepperd Bushiri: The Leader of Jesus Nation-ECG remains one of the emerging religious influencers especially among the Pentecostal movement. He has combined his religious role with philanthropy donating maize and food items to those in need and with entrepreneurship. He continues to draw local and international crowds, helping the nations travel industry to survive harsh economic conditions currently prevailing.
4. Mr. Slyvester Namiwa: He has been consistent in demanding accountability in various sectors in Malawi. He has challenged power and acted upon his belief that citizens have a larger say in matters concerning them. He has been a victim of excessive power abuse of the state.
5. Catholic Education Services: The Roman Catholic Church continues being the second largest provider of education in Malawi. The standards and quality of education gets special mention as they have consistently remained above national average.
Special mention
The following deserves special mention in the services to civic duty, religious and social services:
1. Inkosi Kachindamoto of Dedza: advocate of girl empowerment and ending early marriages.
2. Plan International : Direct investment in child development with life changing support to child protection services.
3. Human Rights Defenders Committee: Their work has been revolutionary in enhancing public accountability. They remain one of the relevant voices within Malawi in public accountability.
4. Consumer Association of Malawi : They have consistently spoken for the consumer in Malawi, bringing to light the issues that affect the commerce and industry sector.
5. Episcopal Conference of Malawi & the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace: The institutions remain the voice of reason and conscience in Malawian society today. They do champion the voices of the most marginalised and speak on behalf of the majority of Malawians.
