Diplomatic appeasement a disaster for Malawi foreign policy
In the run up to last year’s presidential election, then-Presidential candidate Lazarus Chakwera based his presidential campaign on meritocracy, thereby promising that people are treated on the basis of what they know, not whom they know. Rightly so in his campaign, he attacked corruption. Rightly so, he addressed the wrongdoings that took place during Peter Mutharika’s administration. For this he was rewarded by being elected President.
And what a nation he inherited indeed. A nation that like the rest of the world had been struck by a global pandemic that resulted in both health and even economic plight. It is therefore confusing that instead of trying to reduce this plight, President Chakwera’s actions seem to be stating that he’s somewhat in favour of increasing it.
As of this moment in time, a deployment committee consisting of Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials chaired by Veronica Chidothe (pending retirement) and supported by Ernest Makawa (pending retirement) and Francis Mphonda to name a few has recalled all of its diplomats in all of its Missions across the globe.
The cost of each recall is expected to reach minimum of $40,000 per diplomat at the level lower than the Ambassador and that of the Ambassador expected at roughly $70,000. Hence in order to recall the ten-person strong Embassy personnel stationed in London, the Government will have to fork out $400,000, if we are to add the High Commissioner Kena Mphonda that will be closer to $500,000. This change is being done as we speak.
Moreover, we’ve also seen the postings of 16 new Malawian Third Secretaries to serve as the Secretary to the Ambassadors at 16 Missions, positions better filled in by local staff that apart from being experienced in the field, understand the terrain and language plus also cost considerably less.
These new Third Secretaries who have already arrived at their new duty stations will benefit from allowances and benefits that reach almost $10,000 per month, thus costing the public purse $160,000 per month or $1.92 million per year.
Local staff on the other hand would cost as low as $2,000 per month, meaning $32,000 for all local secretaries a month = $384,000 a year: offering a better service at a cheaper cost. That is not to mention the higher-level diplomats.
Numerous other positions ranging from Deputy Ambassadors to Counsellors and First Secretaries have been secretly filed to be filled with political cronies, multiplying the amount of money that the government has to fork out on the deployment and recalls.
Ironically, these postings are all taking place during a time when physical contact is at an all-time low as a result of Covid19. Hence, what’s the use of posting all these new staff abroad when they’re working remotely, and all their meetings are taking place online?
Apart from this, who in their right frame of mind wouldn’t recognise that all the right expertise in foreign countries would be needed in order to make sure that our country gets the necessary investment, supplies and vaccines? Who wouldn’t know that these recalls mean a loss of institutional knowledge as those diplomats have an understanding of their jurisdiction having built up networks and contacts and these take time. Who would not understand that the incoming diplomats need time to understand the work and a time where the world is challenged by Covid and work is done via teleworking? Who would not understand that these recalls and deployments affect the sending nation and also makes the receiving nation to look at Malawi with sceptical eyes?
Only one person apparently, maybe two: President Chakwera and his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eisenhower Mkaka.
It is thus no wonder that we’re in our current situation: struggling economy; struggling to cope with Covid19 with a vaccine shortage, and with more loved ones gone day by day. It is no wonder why our foreign policy will continue to fail and affect the lives of all Malawians.
Let us not forget, the President did not physically attend the United Nations General Assembly in the USA but rather virtually participated as he has done for numerous other meetings. So what sense in sending a whole cohort of new diplomats? Political appeasement is the answer. Not development.
The recalls of all diplomats will result in Malawi paralysing its foreign policy, possibly leading to the worst foreign policy Malawi has seen. Diplomacy should not be about repaying friends but about marketing the country, attracting the right investments and negotiating at the highest level.
It is expected that the whole diplomatic system is demoralised by this action and they are busy packing to leave despite many of them (minus a few bad eggs) being great assets but falling victim to politics. As the saying goes, when in the middle of a war you do not send a new general, you want your most experienced and best qualified to be at the front, leading by example.
The recalling of diplomats and deployment at the very least should be put on hold while Malawi is struggling to fight a pandemic and a failing economy. Is it really a priority to recall 16 Ambassadors at this point in time, as this Government has done? Total recalls which involve more than 80 diplomats are estimated to cost over $5 million (over 4 billion Malawi Kwacha).
Another thing to consider is the fact that contractual obligations must be respected, as it stands almost all the current Ambassadors are owed contract gratuities of 20% for each term they have served and will have to be paid up upon termination as they have not been paid this as of yet. There is a risk of legal action on the government if they fail to settle the monies owed to their diplomats and this will be a cost to the Malawi taxpayers. This is money that could have been spent elsewhere, including on our health service.
But then again even expecting the obvious has become a long task under this government, as evidenced by the alleged misuse of close to $8 million (6.2 billion Malawi Kwacha) that were supposed to be used to fight Covid and aid front liners in their tasks.
As the Leader of the Opposition stated, this government is accountable to its people. And accountability when it comes to public funds must extend towards all government departments. No public funds must go to waste at the expense of the Malawian taxpayers. It is simply wrong to take a casual approach when dealing with matters surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in the midst of the 2nd wave of the pandemic, with thousands of suffering Malawians.
Rather than fighting Covid, the economy, and making sure that funds are spent properly to combat the challenge of our lifetime, the Government’s priorities seem to lie elsewhere. They seem to lie with rewarding loyalists and removing competent professionals from their posts with personal vendettas.
Seeing such a scenario, would asking the Government to be attentive with spending our money wisely, curbing unemployment and controlling Covid and the economy be too much to ask? Perhaps if the productive professionals weren’t replaced with the unproductive bootlickers, such a task wouldn’t be such a tall order.
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Many of the foreign posts do not bring benefits, good agreements or investments to Malawi. It is necessary to recall all the diplomats and put qualified people to take these posts and bring benefits to Malawi, otherwise Malawians will keep paying a lot of money for diplomats which only live full of luxury with taxpayers money and do not do anything to benefit their own country.
Can you please write investigative news. Cite sources and quote sources. This way of writing is rubbish. We are not kids.
Are the figures mentioned here realistic? How much do the air-tickets cost? Now how much does it cost to put a diplomat’s personal items in a container for shipping? What do you want the government to do? To keep them there? The government has changed and diplomats must change as well. This article is a waste of data.
This is where previous administrations have failed. Malawi has a lot of graduates trained in International Relations who can be appointed as career diplomats. With career diplomats there is no need to recall these diplomats. They can only be redeployed depending on strategic interests. As it is right now the Tonse Alliance has deployees holding appointment letters awaiting dispatch to foreign missions. There’s nothing strategic about these deployments except that there are only sending out their connects kuti akadye nawo. The recalls are absolutely useless and a waste of tax payers money.
Useless and less factual article. Which Embassy pays $10,000 monthly allowance to a Third Secretary Grade? Not even Ambassadors in some countries earn that much. Mungofuna anthu alodzanepo za ku Embassy apa. Kulibe chabwino kumeneku.
If you dont know keep the comments to yourself. Ambassador grades vary according to country. The highest diplomat in Malawi ndi amene aliku USA they earn over US$12,000/month. UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Brazil diplomats earn US$10,000/month. Not only that. They earn about MK950,000/month as home salary its deposited in their accounts back in Malawi here. Diplomats in Africa Harare, South Africa, Mozambique ma salary awo is just about US$5,000/month. Ngati simuziwa kukhala chete ndibwino.
Za zii pali nkhani apa.Inu mmati anthu muja amachayira a polisi a Peter kuma demo anzanu asadzipepese?Ngati zakuwawani ndinu ife tili phee kuyembekezera kugu;litsa fodya pa msika.
Useless Article. You mean this Government should continue working with looters who are slowing down and utterly ignoring the clean directives that the government is giving, all because they are saving the interests of DPP while their salaries are being paid by this government? Can’t you see how the government is struggling to work with your type, thieves? Off course every government needs to work with the people that can save its interests. I am outside Malawi myself and I know that the DPP sponsored party zealots in Foreign service have been busy enriching themselves embarrassing our sovereign country. They are so rude and do not save us well when we want to get our documents. What type of work are you talking about Mr. You have not even used your real name to post this article on Nyasatimes. I know you. We talked about this whilst the High Court was trying the elections case and you said it can’t happen for the mighty DPP to get out of rulling due to the courts. But it did. So now you are crying and you are writing useless articles. You do not have good interests for Malawi but for yourself and your tribe.
Akanalila apite ku dpp konko. anazolowera kulandila osagwilila ncito. MALAWIANS SHOWED THE WORLD THAT ”YOU CAN GET IT IF YOU REALLY WANT”WE TRIED AND WE GOT IT. THE WAY MALAWIANS DID IT MADE THE FLAG VISIBLE THAT WAR S CANNOT SOLVE PROBLEMS. DIALOGUE IS THE ANSWER. A Mw ankafuna kuva kuti cinalakwikwa ndi cani pa masamu aja. Osati kupopa anthu kuti kukubwera nkhondo. . apukaa ndalama zongotapa zija zopanda payslip..
Tsopano anthu aulesi ambanda okuba ose aonekela n’gamba.
PSA KOKA
very useless indeed
Exciting and at the same time sad to read a lot of “this is how the world works” comments. I guess you would say the same for cronyism, nepotism and other vile isms. Again, borrowing leaves from other settings and being ‘in line’ on wasteful and generally nonprogressive things while leaving out the good things is what we have been very good at for a very long period of time. If in other buoyant economies people draw allowances we do likewise. We are a pathetic bunch.
All this talk of clearing the rubble and rooting out sabotaging officers is an excuse for wasting a lot of public funds while some members of the same public cheer on. Shame!
Hoooooooo mwana wa Dausi atodza kuchokera ku London hoooooooo 🇲🇼
Its good to have our embassies in different countries helps relations but the London UK one in my experience and others i know of is total waste of tax payers money can not even renew passports ( you have to send it to relatives or friends back to Mw) to renew it after verification of your photos done at the embassy so what is the point of having an embassy ? and when you call they seem to be in a hurry to get off the phone when my family member called it was 3.00 pm yet they knock off at 4 pm but the lady who answered the call who deals with the inquiries told him she was in hurry to go shopping so call her next day ! what a fucking joke
If an embassy can not provide simple services to its citizens what is the point ?
Close them all save taxpayers money
I secind you.amakhala busy coxing amwenye ndi azungu for their personal gains. kumakhala malonda adzaonenitu and parties oooooo. the services are poor my relative shared lots of wat happens in these embassies. ROTTEN.
All over the world diplomats are being recalled and posted. Life must go on. The article was sponsored by a recalled diplomat. It has miserably failed to make a case for not effecting recalls. Instead of being thankful to Present Chakwera for taking his time to bring them back home they are wasting their savings on such a poorly written article. Even after inflating the expenses abwerakobe. Akanakhala muluzi, Bingu, Amayi and APM tikanalima nawo limodzi nandolo. Aziyamika.
Reality and Real destruction to foreign diplomacy,but theres is no question. Malawians will have to pay the price for their personal hatred & chosing garbage instead. It’s Banana Republic with Banana President..there’s no salvation here. A hypocrite for over 20 years,then what do you expect? Sorry enjoy the ride. Okumbila nzake dzenje anagwelamo yekha. Will it need someone to teach a whole government about this? Palibe zolira apa that is what Malawians chose..just close your eyes my fwendo!
funny president and stupid.
Igbudu, who is funny between you and the President? I’m sure it’s u, stupid UDF supporter, kulamula dziko simasewela iyayi, ask Chair ( Bakili) that’s why Atupele will never b the President of the Republic of Malawi, period.
Kulankhula Kwa bwanji uku, do not forget that even Udf, Dpp recalled all people from the Embassies. What is wrong now is it because is MCP and UTM. Let them come back home basi. Other people should go also and enjoy the benefits of our country.
ndiwe mbuzi kwabasi
Let him clean the rubles and keep schools closed to save the money
Recalls shouldn’t be done Atm the world is operating virtually. Why recall atm and waste money. Yes Recalls should be done ✅ not during Covid. Why can’t funds go aswell..
Nzosiyirana izi iwo spinach nswo anzawo avinekonso. We can’t keep people because it will be expensive to to recall them. Government has changed they mustbgo back home nothing wrong with that.
He is cleaning the rubble, doing what we have been requesting,…but ofcourse he will replace with a more stinking rubble anga aluchitira muja
Palibe nkhani apart. Most of the people currently in the foreign missions are not qualified and if qualified academically they do not possess the right attributes to be in the foreign missions. The current crop of our diplomats are just a drain to the economy of the country. They are an embarrassments to be in these offices. Tell me the names of high commissioners and their deputies in the SADC region. You will be shocked to know that these people are in our embassies.
SAD
What are you saying….can’t understand.
To win elle tions needs the people u so called appeased.they worked harder…while you were on your desk drinking tea.This is the sad truth.
Zoona Biggie
You missed the point Mr Mponda. These offices are called foreign missions for a reason: to represent their countries in foreign land. Having such people on the ground therefore makes a hell lot of sense. Your proposal to have them operate from home demotes them to mere home officers. And the country is better represented by someone who understand the political and development agenda of the serving government. So leave government alone to do what is necessary. You have a point on the recruitment of local staff. Counter proposal is to consider recruiting Malawian spouses who may be available in countries where foreign offices exist. These people could be offered the perks that would otherwise be paid to local staff QED.
72 plus wiveskids even ober 18 yrs
nieces
nephews
nannies.
zinangoti pwilikiti ndi maboma adzana dzul9.
BEN BOTOLO HELOOOOO
Nothing wrong here, sungawete njoka mkumaembekezera kuti sikuluma, ma cadets Onse should be recalled
That is exactly how the world works. That is why Bingu gave the presidency to his brother Peter. Bakili gave UDF to Atupele. Joice will keep hers in her family. Chakufwa to Enock. YOU will have to ‘fight’ to EAT chocolates. MCP will continue to reward those who fought the war together. For me I will wait for my turn to EAT in 2025 or 2031. I will wait. Because that is exactly how the world works. [It can be ruthless. And exciting]
We want people who can serve better the tonse agenda. Awowo amapanga za dpp. Sorry. This is their home anthu anawasowa. Ndizosiyilana izi
There is no logic sending party zealots to work virtually in embassies, waste of money and pointless. With corona everything is no contact, no gatherings, no meetings, everything is virtual/web-based. The new people won’t even meet other people due to corona restrictions. Don’t waste our money please. This Chakwera guy, is a cheat, a liar he promised change from old thinking yet he is actually worse.Why sending secretaries. You have one local stuff as receptionists. The ambassador can do his own printing. It’s senseless. Chakwera is clueless he just wants to waste and steal our monies.
Sorry to say this but the write up is from someone who just wants to back up and defend his fellow cadets who overflooded these offices in the foreign land. Whatever it is they must be recalled back and put people who are career diplomats not just blue blooded cadets who only know how to take pictures of beautiful places in these foreign lands.
Kunja sikokapangira waste our taxes and they are people who do not know how to negotiate good deals for their countries. Some countries representatives what they know best is to bring their people to our land Malawi to enjoy our free everything…but these cadets have never negotiated nor husled chances for us to penetrate tge countries they are representing us. Our fellows amazuzika in such countries as if there are no Malawian reps. Let them come back
Keeping them is very costly than deploying them back home in the long run. We need development and we need Malawi to be put on the economic world map and ofcouse our president to receive the treatment we want. Not kumachititsa manyazi presedentjust because you are serving interests of someone in opposition. Anyone in diplomatic mission must serve the government interests not otherwise.
Mwachidule ndingoti pepani wawa kulira kwabwino mutonthola ndithu chifukwa abale anu ndi zibwezi zanu zija zikubwerako mukaiziike ku Chikokobay uko ngati sadzalora kubwerera mma positions omwe ankagwira asadapite ku diplomatic missions. Toska ilo ena adali mavenda ndiye kungobwerako adzafikira pa uvenda omwewo thats why simukufuna kubwerako…sorry
Inu mwalwmba nkhaniyi vuto mwaliona patipo? Diplomats are always recalled at the end of their mission and that’s normal. There is always a budget to carter for diplomatic recalls. Would you write this nonsense had you been appointed for a diplomatic post? Selfish!
stupid reporting. Have u ever seen embassy functioning without support staff? Those costs were there and will be there.Diplomatic function should not stop coz od covid.