Parliament for audits in Malawi embassies: Several diplomats on recall
Parliament’s Public Account Committee (PAC) has asked the National Audit Office (NAO) to audit the country’s 19 foreign missions and three consulates as the new administration will be recalling some officers and diplomats from foreign mission.
The committee said NAO should ensure the audit takes place by end of this year to ascertain how they spent public funds.
PAC chairperson Shadrec Namalomba said this during a budget cluster meeting of the Public Accounts and Budget committees at Parliament in Lilongwe on Tuesday to scrutinise the proposed 2020/21 National Budget Minister of Finance Felix Mlusu tabled in the House on Friday.
NAO has also been tasked to include in the exercise what the committee described as “top five” parastatals.
The ‘top five’ parastatals that the committee has named for fresh audit includes Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom), Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) and Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera).
Namalomba said the organisations were audited four years ago.
But he decried that NAO has been underfunded in the budget.
“This is one of the institutions that provide oversight functions,” he said.
Acting Auditor General Rex Chiluzi confirmed that the money allocated to his office was manifestly inadequate and that they will need additional funding, saying the audit of foreign missions was not on its programme this financial year.
President Lazarus Chakwera in consultation with vice-president Saulos Chilima is making a host of new diplomatic appointments for Malawi, including to Embassy in United States, Washington DC, Belgium and South Africa.
The new ambassadors will be appointed as most of the country’s diplomats in the foreign mission have their contracts expired and some are on recall.
The diplomats who have finished their tours of duty include Edward Yakobe Sawerengera at the Embassy in United States, Washington DC, George Mkondiwa the Malawi High Commissioner in India, Ted Kalebe (Belgium) and Kena Mphonda (United Kingdom).
Thier contracts expired in 2018 but continued serving in the Mission in their current positions following failure by government to fund their return home.
Other low-ranking diplomats have their contracts expired and others have recall letters.
They included Mike Mwanyula (Brussels), Patrick Mphepo (Dheli), some staff at Washington DC and all staff at London mission.
In the previous NAO audit, it was evealed that the country lost million of kwacha in public resources through fraudulent transactions in Malawi diplomatic missions abroad.
There has been widespread criticism over Malawi’s diplomatic service which has mainly been appointed based on political affiliation to parties in government. Many have advocated for career diplomats to represent Malawi if the country is to benefit from its representation abroad through trade, among other things.
On ‘top five’ parastatals audit, NAO will need an additional K75 million, according to Chiluzi.
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Please dont mask your next political move with audit and then demonizing before recalling these diplomats. Come clear to say we are replacing diplomats with our own Tonse Alliance folks. Simple and straightforward. We understand you, that’s how Malawian politics operate.
South Africa is equally finished. They robbed everything and you will be shocked especially when they heard that MBUYE WAO WALUZA and ran way to the Lake Malawi.
Shame we just worked hard and paid salaries to crooks to enjoy life when the whole nation suffered.
koma nkhaniyi inayamba kalekale .ma Audits acitike asanakokote ma funds onse ku accounts zao. Anayway onsewa abwera ndithu ndalama zowabweretsera zili mmalawi mommuno. ( Ben Botolo) tinatopatu waikamba kangapo .ma report ena anatuluka a momwe ma staff aononga ndalama za misonkho yathu. mma embassy momwemo kumatulutsa vacancy kenako kulemba nchito spouse wa staff ili mu office momwemo. zioneka. too many assets hidden from the dpp regime ma accounts ajao pitala getluda ben phili collins magalasi rosa mbiliza chisale ndi nkazace henele mussa Dausi Gelezida cibwezi ca Mevisi mkwezalamba mchaca chiwuyiyenji etc. ndalama tili nazo mommuno.muma embassy mu ncito yake sitiona… Read more »
I think don’t select who to be audited they should go step by step every department and every parastatle should be audited
The thing about an audit is, it doesn’t recover any lost money. It’s basically a waste of time. Ma accountants a Tonse angofuna kudya nawo. Kumakapemphetsa m’ma embassy.
The audits do checks and balances on all ministry and departments and agencies, if left outside I don’t know how the government will fight fraud and corruption. Eg. The audit discovered mk 189 million scam, mk 92 billion scam which led to discovery of mk 200 billion scam. But why suffocating it. ACB will find issues after tips. Audit does not focus on top but on the whole system and flaws will be identified.
Don’t forget to audit Water Boards as well.