Editorial: No more excuses — defy APM, face real consequence

President Mutharika’s directive limiting ministers to one local trip per month will mean nothing if it is not enforced with visible and painful consequences. Malawi does not suffer from a lack of policies; it suffers from a lack of discipline. Too many directives die quietly because those in power know, from experience, that defiance carries no cost.

This time must be different.

If a minister ignores the travel restriction, it should not be treated as a “minor administrative issue.” It is a direct act of insubordination against the Head of State and a betrayal of the austerity agenda. In any serious government, such behaviour attracts sanctions — written warnings, suspension of travel privileges, withdrawal of vehicles and fuel, docking of allowances, or outright dismissal.

Without sanctions, the directive is just another headline.

But beyond punishment, the real question is institutional: how is defiance being monitored? What system has the Chief Secretary put in place to ensure ministers are actually in their offices, doing the work they are paid to do?

At present, Malawi’s governance system has a dangerous blind spot. There is no robust, transparent attendance and movement tracking for political office holders. Ministers sign attendance registers when they feel like it. Travel is often approved retrospectively. Convoys move without central clearance. In short, the system runs on trust — and trust has already failed.

If the Chief Secretary is serious, three mechanisms must exist and be enforced:

First, a centralised travel clearance system at Capital Hill. No minister should travel without written approval logged by the Office of the President and Cabinet. Any fuel drawn or vehicle released without that clearance should automatically trigger an audit query.

Second, daily attendance and duty logs for ministers and deputies, not just civil servants. A simple but strict register: in office, on approved duty, or absent without authority. This is standard practice in serious administrations. Political status should not mean immunity from basic accountability.

Third, monthly public compliance reports. The nation deserves to know who is following the directive and who is not. Secrecy protects defiance. Transparency enforces discipline.

The deeper truth is uncomfortable: many ministers fear staying in the office because the office exposes performance. On the road, failure is easy to hide. In meetings, workshops, and ceremonies, visibility replaces productivity. But at a desk, results are measurable — files processed, policies implemented, problems solved.

That is exactly why this directive matters.

If ministers defy it and nothing happens, then the message to Malawians is clear: austerity is only for the poor. If, however, sanctions are real and monitoring is strict, this could mark a rare shift in Malawi’s political culture — from entitlement to responsibility.

APM has spoken. Now the Chief Secretary must prove that government orders are not suggestions. And ministers must learn a simple lesson long overdue in Malawi’s politics: public office is not a travel allowance scheme. It is a job.

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