Malawi govt orders ambassadors to hire 5 local staff: Recalling diplomats

Government says it has instructed Malawi High Commissioners and Ambassadors to have five local staff in Malawi missions abroad as cost cutting measure.

Foreign Affairs minister Francis Katsaira said the government will also trim Malawi staff for each mission to five or six.

“What we are doing now is that we are recalling all our diplomats whose three year term of office has expired. We want to ensure each mission has 10 members of staff as a cost cutting measure as the country faces dwindling resource envelope,” he said.

His comments come at a time when Malawians are expressing worry that the Democratic Progressive Party elite and President Peter Mutharika’s innercircle continue to send their spouses, siblings, relatives and friends in Malawi missions abroad.

But Katsaira said the government will ensure that the number of envoys are reduced from around 400 to less than 80.