The final stroll? Kapondamgaga arrest tightens noose around Chakwera

The arrest of former State Residences Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga pushes investigators deeper into Malawi’s former president Lazarus Chakwera. Kapondamgaga was not a junior official. As Chief of Staff at State Residences, he occupied one of the most influential positions in government and operated close to the centre of executive power.

Among those who have faced corruption-related investigations or arrests are former Finance Ministers Sosten Gwengwe and Simplex Chithyola Banda, former Greenbelt Authority chief executive Sam Kawale, former Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba, and Richard Chimwendo Banda, the MCP Secretary General who also served as Minister of Local Government and Leader of Government Business in Parliament. Gwengwe served as Finance Minister from 2020 until 2023 before being replaced by Chithyola. Chimwendo Banda was a cabinet minister throughout much of Chakwera’s presidency, while Zamba served as Secretary to the President and Cabinet from 2022 and became one of the most influential figures within government.

Chakwera’s own runningmate, Vitumbiko Mumba was also arrested. He also served in Chakwera’s cabinent, as Minister responsible for Trade. Many of the cases revolve around allegations that billions of kwacha were looted through public procurement, agricultural programmes, investment transactions and other government deals.

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The cases remain before the courts and investigations are ongoing. The hotel was sold to the Public Service Pension Trust Fund (PSPTF) for about K128.7 billion despite independent valuations reportedly placing its value at around K48 billion. The transaction attracted intense scrutiny and became the subject of a public inquiry.

During testimony before the inquiry, a witness recalled a meeting at Grand Palace Hotel in Mzuzu where former Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba allegedly remarked that her presence and that of the Chief of Staff implied that the deal had attracted interest from “the highest office in the land.” The witness did not explicitly state that the remark referred to Chakwera. However, references to “the highest office in the land” or “MG1” are commonly understood in Malawi’s political language to mean the Presidency. Police have not disclosed the reasons behind Kapondamgaga’s arrest and have not linked it to any specific investigation.

Politically, however, the significance is difficult to ignore. Investigators have already reached former ministers, senior civil servants, heads of state institutions and top presidential aides. Kapondamgaga’s arrest means the circle around the former president has become even smaller. Whether the investigations ultimately stop with Chakwera’s former associates or move closer to the former president himself remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in Malawi’s anti-corruption drive.

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