Malawi govt appoints new Budget Director: Ponderani replaces Simwaka 

Malawi government has appointed Peterson Ponderani as new Budget Director after a major shake-up at Capital Hill in October this year that saw several officers being removed or relocated from their positions.

Ponderani will replace Chauncy Simwaka who was redeployed to be Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Defence during the October shake-up as a promotion from Budget Director.

Prior to his appointment,  Ponderani had served as Deputy Budget Director and currently he was Deputy Director (M&E) at Economic Planning and Development.

Simwaka took over from Paul  Mphwiyo who was shot at his Area 43 residence in Lilongwe in  2013.

Mphwiyo’s shooting opened a can of worms and a series of fraud and corruption allegations of public resources at the highest level in what became to be called the Cashgate affair .