Audit report exposes rot in Malawi foreign missions: K2bn looted
An extensive audit report has exposed rot in the country’s 10 foreign missions where K2 billion public money cannot be accounted.
The recent National Audit Office report says the K2 billion cannot be accounted for due to weaknesses in the management of public finances.
The audit report covers from 2013 to 2017 and shows daring fraudulent payments into personal accounts, advances and external allowances.
Others are cash withdrawals not being accounted and use of migration funds without authority.
The affected missions include those of Ethiopia, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and China.
Officials from the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation ministry said they were studying the report before giving a comment.
The reports comes when a number of recalled diplomats are holding on to their positions at various embassies.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Francis Kasaila warned that government can strip off the diplomatic status of those resisting to come home.
The list of the recalled diplomats shows that some of them are attachés whose contracts expired as far back as 2009, but 10 years down the line, they are still at the embassies on government payroll.
Governance and policy expert Rafiq Hajat, said in quotes reported in the press:“By paying diplomats who are living abroad and enjoying a better lifestyle than 90 percent of Malawians and allowing that state of affairs to continue even after expiry of contracts, is indeed total profligacy.”
Most of the diplomats recalled are still in the foreign missions because of their political connections to senior ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials as well as top government officials.
The names include Edith Kwilirani, third secretary in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and was appointed in 2006 and recalled in 2009 and Colonel Vincent Moyo, defence attache in Addis Ababa and was appointed in 2013 and recalled in 2016.
Others include; Lieutenant colonel D.G Phiri, defence attache, Beijing who was appointed in 2013 and his contract expired in 2016; Isaac Chiona, second secretary, Brasilia, appointed in 2013 and recalled in 2016.
This year government issued a notice expiry of contracts to dozens of its diplomatic envoys, including Edward Yakobe Sawerengera at the Embassy in United States, Washington DC.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation ministry dispatched letters to Ambassador Sawerengera alongside top diplomats George Mkondiwa the Malawi High Commissioner in India, Ted Kalebe (Belgium) and Kena Mphonda (United Kingdom).
Other low-ranking diplomats have also been told their contracts expired and others have recall letters.
They included Mike Mwanyula (Brussels), Patrick Mphepo (Dheli), some staff at Washington DC and some staff at London mission.
There has been widespread criticism over Malawi’s diplomatic service which has mainly been appointed based on political affiliation to parties in government. Many have advocated for career diplomats to represent Malawi if the country is to benefit from its representation abroad through trade, among other things.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Recently ACB was cerebrating the arrest of a poor primary school teacher for collecting pay because she on privately sponsored studies without approval of her myopic Ministry. She decided to educate herself because her Government had no interest in developing her.However she continued providing services to the Government after coming back though in a different capacity. Instead of considering it as a soft loan she is in the cooler now. Look at the DPP vampires who are at our foreign embassies sucking our blood. How selective is DPP Government. How can someone remain on payroll after termination of contract in… Read more »
NO WONDER ABOUT THIS.ANYWHERE THIEVES TAKE ADVANTAGE OVER GRANNIES LIKE THAT ONE AT STAEHOUSE HAHAHAAHAHAHA.
Not Malawi govt. But Muthalika administration is stting on shit all the from 2013 to date shame. The whole minister just sitting on shit mbava.
This is not news because nothing is new but the news is “Malawi government takes no action despite money being stolen in foreign missions” we all know why, undecisive leadership, they are thieves themselves and they are part of this problem. Only if we decide to open our eyes true children of Malawi is when we can fix the problem. People contracts in foreign embassies expired long ago and are recalled but they can’t come back, what do u think they are doing ou there? knowingly their contracts are over, how do u think are surviving? Its Conniving and stealing.… Read more »
Hats off Tariq…..hit the nail on the head…
This is a dead country. Pompano we will be begging from Tz, Zambia and Mozambique. We have no ambition at all. God found all the pathetic fools in the world and put them in malawi. That’s why we have reproduced war-time characteristics without ever having gone to war. A pathetic shit of a country with fools: people who think becoming rich means to rob themselves. Professorial assholes.
Truer words have never been spoken!
This is a people who do not value the greater good. Amazingly so self hating. They want to stay in other people’s countries instead of learning and taking those learnings back home. The truth is when Malawians go abroad, all they do is keeping up appearances and put on a façade of being knowledgeable and rich. We are pathetic motherfuckers and scum of the earth
A tiny bit over-the top, Tariq? The issue is corruption in Malawi’s embassies, not in the entire people.(who I find, on the whole, to be more charming, more modest, and more honest than my own!!)