President Lazarus Chakwera last night unveiled austerity measures aimed at stabilising the shaky economy that forced government to devalue the kwacha by 25 percent last week.
During a news conference he addressed at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe two days after returning from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the African Union Extraordinary Summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, the President also gave the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) 21 days to report to his office on investigations on United Kingdom-based businessperson Zuneth Sattar whose alleged corrupt dealings are said to have involved high-profile figures in Chakwera’s administration.
He also announced the firing of Secretary to the President and Cabinet Zanga-Zanga Chikhosi who has since been replaced by hitherto head of the Presidential Delivery Unit Colleen Zamba.
The President said the austerity measures include cutting by 20 percent fuel allowances for his Cabinet, restrictions on foreign travel and no movement of government vehicles after 6pm.
Said Chakwera: “Public officers will only be allowed to take three trips during the remainder of the year. Delegations will be subjected to scrutiny. There will be no top up allowances for sponsored trips.”
The President added that during the limited international trips, public officers will only fly economy class.
He also directed that government pool vehicles shall be restricted from being on the road beyond 6pm except with permission from the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC).
From the onset, the President indicated that his address was meant to tackle two issues relating to investigations against Sattar and recent devaluation of the kwacha by 25 percent.
He said he appreciated how painful the devaluation is, but it was a necessary evil “to heal the economy”.
Chipping in, Secretary to the Treasury McDonald Mafuta Mwale said the two trips the President undertook to Switzerland and Equatorial Guinea cost taxpayers K300 million.
In his address, Chakwera gave the ACB 21 days to furnish him with a report on investigations against Sattar.
The First Citizen said he was aware of social media and purported UK court reports that Vice-President Saulos Chilima, State Residences chief of staff Prince Kapondamgaga, former Solicitor General Reyneck Matemba and other high ranking officials were on the Sattar list. The President did not mention the officials and the businessperson by name.
He said the persons named were innocent until proven guilty and noted that none of them had been interrogated.
Chakwera said: “I understand the anguish and anger for most Malawians on this issue. I am just as frustrated as you are that the British citizen came into the country without any action. But my decision must uphold certain principles of justice regardless of my feelings.”
The President said while he respects the court in UK, he cannot base his decisions on such reports, but on what law enforcement agencies will say in Malawi.
On whether he would have acted differently if the names were mentioned in Malawi, Chakwera said he would have surely acted promptly.
He also expressed disappointment that Sattar came into the country without security agencies doing something, adding that even this matter will be subjected to an investigation after which he will make a decision.
During the news conference, Chakwera also announced the dismissal of Chikhosi.
Without elaborating, he said: “Mr. Chikhosi has been assigned other duties.”
Chakwera has been under pressure from the Public Affairs Committee as well as the Episcopal Conference of Malawi to replace Chikhosi. The bodies noted that most of the problems facing government were linked to the OPC.
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