Activists Demand Names, Figures and Arrests After Mutharika Claims Government Flushed Out Ghost Workers

President Peter Mutharika’s revelation that government has removed ghost workers from the public payroll has triggered intense national debate, with governance and human rights activists demanding a full audit report, names of culprits, total financial losses and criminal action. The President made the disclosure last Friday during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), where he told Parliament that a personnel audit in the public service had uncovered and eliminated ghost workers — individuals illegally drawing salaries from government. But instead of celebration, the announcement has opened a new front of public pressure, with civil society arguing that the statement, without evidence, is meaningless and potentially dangerous.

Executive Director of the Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT), Willy Kambwandira, said while the move is commendable, it must be backed by hard facts. “We welcome the bold stance, but Malawians deserve a detailed audit report. How many ghost workers were found?

How much money was lost? Over what period? And what corrective measures have been taken?” Kambwandira asked.

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He warned that without transparency, the claim risks becoming a public relations exercise rather than a genuine accountability process. “This potentially amounts to serious offences — fraud, false pretences, uttering false documents and abuse of public office,” Kondowe said.“These are not disciplinary issues. They require investigation, prosecution and court action.” In a written response, Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Initiative (CDEDI), Sylvester Namiwa, echoed the same demands, calling for immediate arrests and public naming of those involved.

“You cannot announce ghost workers and then hide the ghosts. Malawians need to see the faces behind this theft,” Namiwa said.“Otherwise, this becomes a cover-up, not a clean-up.” Ghost workers are widely viewed as one of the most corrosive forms of corruption in Malawi, draining billions of kwacha annually through fake names, dead people, duplicated identities and politically protected payroll syndicates. Yet, despite the President’s strong statement, no figures, departments, timeframes or suspects have been officially released.

When contacted for clarification, Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) spokesperson Focus Maganga asked for more time, saying government is still compiling updated information. The silence has only deepened suspicion. For many Malawians, the real question is no longer whether ghost workers exist — that is already accepted — but whether anyone will actually be held accountable. Until names are published, money quantified and prosecutions launched, critics argue that the ghost workers may have been removed from the payroll, but their crimes remain very much alive.

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