They don't carry guns

police officer: Let me see your license
me: here you go (giving her my SC license)

police officer: where is your Malawi license?
me: I don't have one

police officer: why not?
me: I'm in the process, I went to the police station and they told me to come back next week (not the truth)

police officer: which police station
me: the one downtown (first thought)

police officer: well, let me see your letter from them
me: I don't have it, it's at home

police officer: you're a liar, you're telling me all lies
me: no, of course not, can I pass now?

police officer: I have to fine you, according to section 16, it will be 8,000 kwacha ($20)
me: no, no, that's too much....a speeding fine is only 5,000 kwacha

policer officer: then what are we going to do?
me: I don't know but I need to go

police officer: have a nice day.

If the falsehood in the story bothers you, let me try to justify my lies.  To get a Malawi license without bribery, you would need to go to the police station and wait for a week until someone decides to help you.  I don't want to bribe and I don't want to miss a week of work, so I drive without a Malawi license.  

It's usually not a big deal, police see my U.S. license and let me go.  But this one particular officer decided to pick on me and obviously expected payment.  I'm not a tourist and I know how to deal with the shady minds of the police department.  A few people would pay the fine and she was obviously looking for gullible drivers that day.  But I drove away and smiled....only here.  She probably smiled too, at the next driver that handed over 8,000 kwacha.