The government has come under growing pressure to explain its silence over the cost and justification of Vice President Dr Jane Ansah’s private trip to the United Kingdom, at a time when Malawians are being told to brace for austerity and deep cuts in public spending.
Richard Mveriwa
Dr Ansah is scheduled to travel to the UK from December 26, 2025 to January 10, 2026, accompanied by a 15-member delegation of officials, yet authorities have declined to disclose how much the trip will cost taxpayers or why such a large entourage is necessary for a private visit.
Documents seen by reveal that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally notified the Malawi High Commission in the UK that the Vice President would be on a private visit to Nottingham, accompanied by senior officials from her office.
“I write to inform you that Right Honourable Justice Dr. Jane Ansah, SC, JA (Rtd), Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, will be on a private visit to Nottingham, United Kingdom, from 26 December 2025 to 10 January 2026,” reads part of the memo dated December 11, 2025, signed by Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Chauncy Simwaka.
“The Vice President will be accompanied by Mr Eric Yesaya, Secretary to the Vice President, and other officials as per the attached list,” the memo adds.
Despite the official paper trail, government officials have stonewalled questions about the financial implications of the trip.
Press Secretary for the Office of the Vice President Richard Mveriwa confirmed that Ansah would leave for the UK on December 26 but insisted that the rest of the details were private.
“The Vice President will leave on 26 December on a private trip. All the details about her trip remain private,” Mveriwa said, declining to comment on the memo authorising the delegation.
Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha also refused to disclose the cost of the trip or explain how it aligns with the government’s austerity measures, referring all questions back to the Office of the Vice President.
“I can’t comment. You should reach her representative for more information,” Mwanamvekha said.
The silence has raised serious concerns, particularly because the trip comes barely weeks after government announced austerity measures aimed at cutting public expenditure amid a worsening economic crisis, shrinking revenues, and mounting public debt.
Governance and accountability advocates argue that the issue is not whether the Vice President is entitled to private travel, but whether public resources are being used to finance what has been described as a private visit, and why the government appears unwilling to be transparent about it.
National Advocacy Platform Chairperson Benedicto Kondowe said the decision to deploy a 15-member delegation for a private trip sends the wrong message to the public.
“The matter is even more troubling given that the Vice President’s trip to the UK is private, not official, yet an entourage of 15 officials has been deployed,” Kondowe said.
“This sends the wrong signal about leadership priorities and fiscal discipline. A private visit must be clearly distinguished from an official mission, and public resources should not be used to underwrite private travel,” he added.
Critics say the government’s refusal to disclose costs only fuels suspicion, especially in a context where hospitals face drug shortages, schools are underfunded, and civil servants are struggling under a rising cost of living.
As pressure mounts, questions remain unanswered: Who is paying for the flights, accommodation, and allowances of the 15 officials? Under what authority were they deployed for a private visit? And why is government insisting on secrecy when it has publicly committed itself to austerity and fiscal restraint?
For now, government’s silence is speaking louder than its policies—raising doubts about whether austerity applies to ordinary Malawians alone, while those at the top continue to operate by a different set of rules.
