Mbilizi’s team blames rivals for fertiliser row — But dodges cousin claim

Agriculture Minister Roza Fatchi Mbilizi’s office has moved to counter accusations of corrupt dealings in Malawi’s fertiliser procurement system, with her team alleging that a smear campaign is being orchestrated by trading firms with a vested interest in the sector.

According to the minister’s team, Export Trading Limited and Farmers World Limited are behind efforts to amplify the controversy surrounding her ministry’s fertiliser procurement decisions.

Her team maintains that the Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) operates as an independent parastatal under the Government of Malawi, governed by its own board of directors, with the Ministry of Agriculture serving only as policy holder rather than a decision-making authority over the fund’s day-to-day procurement.

However, the response has left one specific allegation unaddressed: claims that an SFFRFM board member — reportedly a cousin of the minister — was involved in negotiating the disputed fertiliser deal with a Zambian firm before Mbilizi herself engaged with the company.

The minister’s team has not directly responded to it.

The controversy follows earlier reporting that Mbilizi personally lobbied the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) for single-source approval to negotiate with UCF executives — a request the PPDA rejected in favour of competitive tendering.

Reports have also indicated that Mbilizi subsequently directed SFFRFM to pause standard tender processes, a move that has drawn opposition criticism amid concerns over potential delays ahead of the rainy season.

Ministry officials have defended the broader reform push, arguing that dealing directly with manufacturers rather than through layered agent networks would cut inflation-driven costs and better protect smallholder farmers.

Critics and industry insiders, however, say the friction reflects pushback from established trade cartels and middlemen who stand to lose out under the proposed changes.

The opposition has seized on the controversy, with critics accusing the ruling DPP of shielding the minister from proper scrutiny over the allegations.