President Lazarus Chakwera is facing a torrent of criticism after controversially pardoning two convicted Chinese wildlife traffickers, in what civil society leaders and environmentalists have branded a shameful betrayal of Malawi's fight against corruption, wildlife crime, and executive accountability. The decision to release Lin Yunhua and his wife Qin Hua Zhang- key players in a notorious wildlife trafficking syndicate that operated across southern Africa- has sparked public outrage, with many calling the pardon not just a misjudgment, but a dangerous endorsement of international environmental crime.