The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has questioned the government’s handling of austerity measures, expressing alarm that taxpayers’ money is being wasted to pay two people for the same position under the guise of secondment. Speaking to Nyasatimes, PAC publicity secretary Bishop Gilford Matonga condemned the practice, calling it a blatant misuse of public funds driven by politics. “You second a CEO with all benefits and employ another person with the same benefits for the same position.
What is that? Just fire them! This is almost like paying them yearly for nothing,” Matonga said, emphasizing the injustice to ordinary Malawians who fund such positions through their taxes.
The matter, he noted, exposes a glaring gap in government accountability at a time when the nation is urged to tighten belts and embrace austerity measures. Government spokesperson Shadreck Namalomba responded cautiously, stating that he needed to consult his superiors at the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) before issuing an official stance. “This is a new question altogether.
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Let me escalate the matter to my superiors at OPC before coming up with a position, but it is a good observation that needs to be addressed,” Namalomba said. PAC’s remarks come amid growing public concern over political patronage and inefficiency in government institutions, with citizens demanding that resources meant for national development not be siphoned off for duplicative salaries. The public and civil society groups are now watching closely, calling for immediate clarification and corrective action to ensure public funds are not misused under political pretexts.
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