Ombudsman Grace Malera has nullified recruitment of 8 Call Center Agents for the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), saying it was done without following the due process, proper procedures and rules.
In a just released determination Malera has faulted the Tax Collecting body for using the head hunting method in employing the said officers instead of advertising the job vacancies openly for suitable candidates to apply.
According to Malera authorities within the MRA used word of mouth to announce the existing vacancies, a thing she has said is tantamount to maladministration.
“The actions of the Respondent in not advertising publicly the vacancy and call for applications of the Call Center Agents position contravened the relevant provisions of the Recruitment and Selection Policy of MIRA, and also constituted a serious abrogation of the cardinal principle of recruitment of persons into the Public Service as stipulated in the Public Service Act…” reads the determination in part.
Contrary to the complaint, Malera has said her investigation did not find any evidence that some members of MRA’s Executive management influenced the recruitment process on the basis of being related to some of the candidates.
She has however faulted the concerned officers for failing to formally register declarations with the Human Resources Department that their relations had applied for the position of that they were going to be interviewed for the position which was a contravention of MRA’s Recruitment and Selection Policy.
Ombudsman Malera has therefore ordered the MRA to effect the attendant administrative action as if the recruitment and appointment did not take place and that all terminal benefits for the 8 should be forfeited.
On May 7, 2021 the Office of the Ombudsman received a Complaint from anonymous person(s), on allegations of irregular recruitment of 10 staff members in the Remote Resolutions Call Centre at the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) (the Respondent).
Out of the 10 one did not accept the job offer while one passed away.
On June 27, 2025, the Chief Resident Magistrate Court sitting in Lilongwe discontinued a case in which the directors of Paramount Holdings Limited and the company were facing different charges of forgery and altering false documents to get government contracts as authorised dealers of Yamaha motorcycles in Malawi.
The Court further barred the State from pursuing the issue.
Arrested in July 2021, the three are Prakash Virji Ghedia, Arvindikumar Atiti Patel and Surej Khimji Jagatiya. The charges in the discontinued case accused the three of making false documents contrary to section 353 of the penal code as a second count.
“Prakash Virji Ghedia, Arvindikumar Atiti Patel and Surej Khimji Jagatiya and Paramount Holdings Limited on or about August 2020, being Directors of Paramount Holdings Limited in Malawi and the company itself conspired to make a false document and utter a false document showing that the company is an authorised dealer of Yamaha Motorcycles in Malawi,” reads part of the summons
The third count surrounds uttering a false document contrary to section 360 of the penal code.
Reads the third count in part: “…on or about August, 2020, being Directors of Paramount Holdings Limited in Malawi and the company itself uttered a false document to Ministry of Education, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, UNC Project and Jphiego to win tenders for the supply of motorcycles, showing that Paramount Holdings is an authorized dealer of Yamaha Motorcycles in Malawi on behalf of Yamaha Company Limited.”
Before their arrests, Paramount Holdings Limited was monopolising the supply of Yamaha Motorcycles in the government and organisations, using the said ‘false document’.
In 2023, Attorney General Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda confirmed that criminal investigations against Paramount Holdings Limited were still on-going and if found guilty, the company would be debarred from participating in public procurement in Malawi.
This was after Capital Hill suspended Paramount Holdings Limited and other companies following serious allegations of various procurement-related crimes that the companies committed.
Chakaka-Nyirenda was also waiting for the outcome of the case to decide whether to debar the company from participating in public procurement in Malawi.
“I have been informed that the case is ready for trial. A guilty finding against Paramount Holdings Limited may also affect Paramount Holdings Limited’s eligibility to participate in public procurement.” In 2024, Chakaka Nyirenda wrote to Malawi’s Deputy Ambassador to Japan Joseph Chikwemba.
This was after Chikwemba wrote to the Attorney General inquiring about the status of Paramount Holdings Limited in Malawi because the company was still operational and still claiming that is it a sole distributor for Japanese-based Yamaha Motor Company.
“This week, local media also reported that Paramount Holdings has been appointed by Yamaha Motor Company as the only recognised distributor for the Asian giant company after a rigorous process,” reads part of the letter dated January 24, 2024.
“The mission [Malawi Embassy in Tokyo] wishes to report that Mr. Akira Sakaki of Yamaha Motor Co. LTD who is in charge of Malawi, has confirmed that neither Yamaha Motor Headquarters nor Yamaha Distributors South Africa recognises the two dealership letters possessed by Mr. Prakashu Ghedia as Yamaha’s official documents. Moreover, Yamaha distributors South Africa has no authority to appoint Yamaha dealer of Yamaha motorcycles in Malawi. Mr. Sakaki further verified Yamaha Motor has only one distributor in Malawi-Stansfield Motors Limited,” reads one of the correspondences.
However, since their arrests, the case has never seen the light of the day, as government was reluctant to prosecute it.
Luthando Holdings officials pose with First Lady Monica Chakwera, after donating to her foundation
This forced a competitor, Hendrix Laher, director of Luthando Holdings Limited, to apply to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Masauko Chankakala to prosecute the case, which consent was granted on 8th February 2023.
Since the issue started, Luthando Holdings, owned by an indigenous Malawian, has been benefiting from Yamaha Motorcycles contracts.
Recently, the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) awarded a contract to the company to supply 100 motorcycles with a total value of K2.1 billion. Their interest in the outcome of the case was obvious.
In April last year, Chamkakala controversially discontinued prosecuting a criminal case against the directors who were answering charges of making and uttering false documents to get government contracts.
Despite the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament recommending that the case be revived, Chamkakala has instead, written a supportive sworn affidavit for Paramount Holdings Limited directors to have the case discontinued, citing the six months that have lapsed.
In his affidavit, Chamkakala said that a period in excess of six months has lapsed since the discharge and “the Republic is not recommencing this matter. Wherefore the Republic prays that the court makes the necessary orders in this regard.”
However, the magistrate court ruled in favour of Paramount Holdings Limited directors and Chamkakala.
As the lower court was handling the matter, Luthando Holdings applied to the High Court for a judicial review of the DPP’s decision not to prosecute the case after the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament recommended the revival of the matter in court.
Luthando Holdings lawyer Jefferson Luwa argued that a discontinuance can only be effectual if the parliamentary committee accepts it because the powers that Section 99 (3) of the Constitution grants to the DPP end with him justifying the decision to the committee within 10 days.
The case brought mixed reaction from the general public, with civil society organizations questioning the rationale behind its discontinuance.
Youth and Society (YAS) wrote Chimkakala demanding an update regarding the discontinued criminal proceedings against directors of Paramount Holdings Limited.
In a letter dated June 16, 2025, YAS has demanded a detailed account of the actions the DPP’s office has taken in response to the Legal Affairs Committee’s resolution.
“At this meeting, the Committee expressly rejected the discontinuance of Criminal Case Number 868 of 2023, citing insufficient justification and unresolved questions surrounding the authenticity of the dealership documents submitted by Paramount Holdings.
“The Committee’s resolution was unambiguous: the case must be reinstated within 30 working days, with the expectation that the Court, not the Executive, should determine the matter on its merits.
“As a watchdog organization committed to the rule of law, accountability, and justice, Youth and Society (YAS) is gravely concerned that, 12 months after the lapse of the 30-day period, there has been no public communication, action, or indication that your office has respected and acted upon the Committee’s resolution,” reads part of the letter signed by YAS executive director Charles Kajoloweka.
He added; “Mr. Chimkakala, the integrity and public confidence in your office rest on the transparent and principled execution of your prosecutorial duties. A failure to act on this matter, in spite of clear parliamentary oversight and direction, would constitute a dangerous precedent, undermining both the fight against corruption and the public’s trust in justice institutions.”
The discontinuous of this contentious case, means that Paramount Holdings Limited and its directors are free to bid for public Yamaha Motorcycles contracts, however, the company’s status as Malawi’s sole agent for Yamaha Motor Co. LTD remains unresolved.
On October 18, 2024, lawyerAlexious Kamangiladelivered a live broadcast that sparked crucial discussions about judicial corruption in Malawi. His direct accusations against several judges and lawyers have not only unveiled serious allegations but also resonated with a public increasingly demanding accountability and reform within the legal system.
He cited delayed cases and summary judgments for cases that should have been defended as indicators of possible corruption.
Sunrise Pharmaceuticals and Chombe Food Products, owned by businessman Leston Mulli, have yet to refund the K3 billion compensation they received from the government, which the Supreme Court of Appeal ordered.
The court ordered that Mulli should pay back the money within 30 days, which has lapsed.
The ruling followed an application by the Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka-Nyirenda against the compensation, which was paid by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regime.
It reversed the High Court ruling under the DPP administration that awarded the companies this sum as compensation for losses claimed during the July 20, 2011, demonstrations.
Following the expiry of 30 days, Chakaka-Nyirenda has threatened to take further legal action, including filing for bankruptcy and a garnishment order.
“Following the court order, nothing has been paid and the 30 days have elapsed. So we have several options that we have to reclaim the money. The first one will be to garnish [Mulli’s] bank accounts.
“The second option will be to instruct the sheriffs to seize assets or apply for bankruptcy. So these processes will start as soon as possible,” he told the Nation Newspaper.
However, Mulli’s lawyer Chancy Gondwe said they are waiting for the same court’s ruling on an application for an order staying its earlier decision to refund the money.
“We have applied for an order of stay pending the retrial of the matter in the High Court. The application is before the full bench. We are waiting for their determination as of now,” he said.
In its verdict in Blantyre on May 29, 2025, a seven-judge panel comprising Deputy Chief Justice Lovemore Chikopa and justices of appeal Frank Kapanda, Healey Potani, John Katsala, Charles Mkandawire, Sylvester Kalembera, and Dorothy NyaKaunda Kamanga ordered Mulli to return within 30 days the money he was paid as compensation and that the case should start afresh in the High Court.
The Society of Malawians in Botswana (SOMABO) president Gabriel Guta has said Malawians living in the diaspora are disappointed with the current President Lazarus Chakwera’s leadership, citing economic struggles that people have been facing since 2020.
In an interview with The Atlas, Guta has since urged Malawians to vote wisely in the forthcoming general elections.
“We had hopes with Chakwera when he was taking over; however, we in the diaspora are very disappointed with what we have achieved during this tenure. People are far, much poorer than they were five years ago. Every sector is struggling; people are now getting used to economic problems.
“Being an election year, we are just hoping for the best. We are hopeful that Malawians will choose someone who is going to turn around things. I don’t support any candidate, but I want this to change because one day, we will come back home hoping that things will be okay,” he said.
Guta said the main problem of those elected is that they have the appetite of the stomach; during the campaign period, they come up with food ideas, but once elected, they think only of their stomachs.
“We trust that people are now able to see the qualities of leadership that Malawians need. Though a lot of electorates are driven by illiteracy and poverty, we are hoping that this time around people will do better, though it is a tall order.
“As people in the diaspora, we try our best to survive, but we always think of our brothers and sisters back home. Those who are languishing in the villages because they can’t afford basic needs. Malawians are hard-working people; with good leadership, things can improve easily. We need good education standards, be it in agriculture and mining.
“If we have a good economy, people will not be forced to travel, even without passports, to South Africa or Botswana for greener pastures. It only happens in a rotten society. We want the best out of Malawi because it is our home. One day, we will come back, whether alive or dead; this is our home,” he said.
The Society of Malawians in Botswana (SOMABO) has said all is set for the celebrations of the country’s 61st independence slated for this Saturday.
In an interview with The Atlas, SOMABO president Gabriel Guta said the celebrations, slated for Park 27, will include music, traditional food, and music, among others.
“Though we are here in Botswana, we are still Malawians. We identify ourselves as such, so we always celebrate our independence. We can’t let July 6 pass by because it is a very significant day for all Malawians, regardless of where we are. We are proud to be Malawians in a foreign country,” said Guta.
Guta
Guta said that on the day, the executive members of the society will also answer questions that people might have pertaining to their stay while in Botswana, passport and immigration issues; membership and benefits of being a SOMABO member; and the relationship/cooperation between the society and all other groups that Malawians have formed as support measures.
SOMABO, he said, is the bridge between the Malawian government and the Botswana government.
“Malawians started trekking to Botswana in the early 1980s through government initiatives. Botswana was lacking technical and industrial expertise like engineers, plumbers, bricklayers, and mechanics. So Malawians came to fill that gap.
“Since then, a lot of Malawians have been coming to Botswana for greener pastures. The formation of SOMABO was to coordinate Malawians living here because we don’t have a Malawian embassy; we rely on our embassy in South Africa.
“Among other things, we handle immigration, labor, socio-economic problems amongst our members, apart from bringing them together to celebrate, as we are doing this weekend. When we have a predicament such as funerals, we come together. We assist, like on repatriation if needed and resources allow. We support our members who have been arrested for lack of documentation based on our mutual agreement with the Botswana immigration department, to have them released from holding cells and sent back home.
“The embassy in South Africa only deals with passports, certification of documents like degrees obtained and accredited by Malawian institutions,” said Guta.
However, he lamented the influx of Malawians who are illegally entering Botswana.
“A lot of Malawians, both from home and South Africa, are illegally entering Botswana through tricksters calling themselves agents. They are charged K250,000 with a promise that they have found a job, but when they reach here, they are dumped.
“It’s a call to all Malawians to ignore such people. These cases are rising day by day,” he said.
The Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court in Lilongwe has controversially discharged the directors of Paramount Holdings Limited and the company itself of all criminal charges, bringing a conclusive end to a legal battle that started in 2021.
In a ruling made on Friday, June 27, 2025, the court cleared Paramount Holdings directors Prakash Virji Ghedia, Arvindkumar Atit Patel, and Suresh Khimji Jagatiya, along with the company, of three charges, including conspiracy to commit a felony and the alleged use of false documents to obtain a government tender.
The court issued an order prohibiting the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from pursuing any further charges related to the matter against the individuals or the company.
Reacting to this development, Gift Katundu, the Legal Counsel representing the three, including the company, said they were excited about the ruling.
“As representatives of the three, including Paramount Holdings Limited, we are very happy with the ruling as this gives freedom to their clients to do business in Malawi, you know this case had put their day to day transaction to a halt but now I think we have made good progress”, he said.
The charges, initially filed in July 2021, were based on a complaint by Hendrix Laher, Director of Luthando Holdings Limited, a business competitor. Laher alleged that Paramount Holdings had submitted a forged Yamaha dealership certificate to win a motorcycle supply tender issued by JHPIEGO, an international health NGO.
Court documents reveal that both Paramount and Luthando Holdings had submitted bids to supply Yamaha motorcycles to several entities, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Local Government, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, and JHPIEGO. The tender was awarded to Paramount Holdings on July 7, 2020. Laher subsequently complained to the Fiscal and Fraud Section of the Malawi Police Service.
Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has called for a thorough investigation into the ‘sickening violence’ that ensued during a peaceful match in Lilongwe on Thursday, condemning the incident as unconstitutional and a stark violation of citizens’ democratic rights.
His remarks come against the background of a fracas where peaceful ant – Mtalimanja protestors were hacked, macheted and had their vehicles torched by an unidentified panga – wielding thugs who violently stopped the demonstration in the process.
In a firm statement posted on his official Facebook page, Chakwera said that such acts of violence undermine the very foundations of democracy and must be unequivocally condemned to uphold peace and justice in the nation.
Chakwera further asked the asked the ministers of Homeland security and Security and defense, Ezekiel Ching’oma and Harry Mkandawire, respectively to investigate the matter and varnish him with a preliminary report upon his arrival.
He writes; “The right of Malawians to protest peacefully is not only enshrined in the Constitution, but also a birthright.
As such, both the violence and destruction of property that took place during these demonstrations are totally unacceptable and have no place in our democracy.
I have therefore directed all relevant state agencies to act swiftly and decisively to restore calm, as well as to investigate what happened and ensure that all those who violated the law are held accountability.
As President, I will be expecting a preliminary report on findings from both the Ministers of Homeland Security and Defense upon my return, which will form the basis of further actions we will take to ensure this does not happen again and that the 80 days between now and Election Day are peaceful and violence-free.”
During the attack human rights activist Sylvester Namiwa was manhandled by an unidentified assailants and suffered 19 deep cuts.
It occured at the start of demonstrations Namiwa was leading, calling for the resignation of Malawi electoral Commision chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja and Chief elections Officer Andrew Mpesi.
Moments after the protestors had thronged the vicinity, an unregistered Toyota Fortuner drove directly towards a group of police officers standin between two Malawi Defence Force ( MDF) armoured vehicles.
The Panga- wielding seized Namiwa by his clothes and began rouging him up in full view of both Police and MDF personnel.
Recently, his Malawi Congress Party officials has been linked with violence attacks that on peaceful demonstrators.
Chakwera is in Nigeria for the 32nd African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM Bank) annual meeting.
Malawi Airlines Q400 aircraft developed a flight control fault after engine start and before taxiing out.
In a statement released Friday, the company said after trouble shooting by the engineer on board it was decided to shut down both engines for a better diagnosis of the problem.
“Our pilots followed standard safety protocols by not taxiing out with a known technical problem. As Malawi’s national carrier, safety remains our top priority in all our operations.
“We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability for all our passengers and crew. We assure the public that there was no risk to anyone on board, and all necessary measures were taken promptly and professionally.
“Malawi Airlines would like to encourage the travelling public to contact the airline or the Malawi Civil Aviation Authority to get credible information other than speculations via social media platforms,” reads part
The Country’s Quasi – religious body, Public Affairs Committee ( PAC) has gone to town on the country’s security agencies, The Malawi Defense Force( MDF ) and Malawi Police Service (MPS) for negligently failing to conduct their noble duty of protecting Citzens during anti- Mtalimanja protests yesterday.
The protestors were hacked, macheted and had their vehicles torched by an unidentified Panga-wielding thugs who in the process, mishandled Human rights activist Sylvester Namiwa and bayoneted a female Police officer.
In a statment co-signed by PAC Chairperson Monsignor Patrick Thawale and Spokesperson Bishop Gilford Matonga, the body says that the incidents threaten the Malawi’s democratic values.
PAC says the act is barbaric and it contravenes the country’s democratic principles.
“Recalling that the Malawi Police service gave assurance to the 6th All – inclusive Stakeholders Conference delegates compounds the contradictory conduct of the enforcement agencies,” says the statement in part.
MDF spokesperson Major General Mlelemba could not be traced for a comment by the time we went to press, but MPS spokesperson Peter Kalaya has been quoted by local media as having said Police are yet to make arrests in relation to the incident.
“We haven’t yet made any arrest but we are investigating the matter. People should not say we neglected the protestors. We fired
teargas to disperse the protestors,” he was quoted.
The development comes amid growing pressure on government as some qouters ask for the ministers of Homeland security Ezekiel Ching’oma and MPS inspector general Merliyn Yolam’s heads.
Malawi Law Society issued a statement yesterday in which it casted doubts on their ability to lead the law enforcing agencies.
The society said it has noted with concern the failure to act by the members at the helm of the two departments and asked President Lazarus Chakwera to fire them if trust on the security agencies is to be restored.
“Consequently, the Society calls upon the state president Lazarus Chakwera to relieve the minister of Homeland security Mr Ezekiel Ching’oma of his duties. The society further requests President Dr Lazarus Chakwera to relieve the inspector General of Malawi Police Marylin Yolam of his duties,” partly, demands the statement.
The attack occurred at the start of demonstrations Namiwa was leading, calling for the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja and Chief Elections Officer Andrew Mpesi.
Moments after the protestors had thronged the vicinity, an unregistered Toyota Fortuner drive directly towards a group of police officers standing between two Malawi Defence Force (MDF) armoured vehicles.
The Panga-wielding men seized Namiwa by his clothes and began roughing him up in full view of both police and MDF personnel.
In a similar event, a female cop was beaten up by the thugs when she tried to control the thugs from torching a vehicle.
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are calling for the cancellation of external debt, citing the substantial dollar payments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as unsustainable.
This call follows an observation that the 27% allocation for loan repayment to the IMF is disproportionately large, diverting funds from other critical sectors that are already struggling to meet the Abuja declaration targets.
The remarks were made during a press briefing in LIlongwe organised by Universal Health Coverage Coalition UHCC in Malawi aimed at updating the media and the Public on Financing for Development.
Malawi is struggling with debt amounting to 15 million Malawi Kwacha and the country spends 27 percent of its national budget to repay debts owed by IMF and other MDBs
Chairperson for UHC and Executive Director for Universal Health Coverage George Jobe has strongly calls for Malawi’s debt to be cancelled unconditionally, as it is the only way to end the debt crisis Malawi is facing.
He further said there is a need to ensure radical economic reforms and put in place measures to ensure that unnecessary borrowing is stopped and that debt is controlled from escalating to avoid reaching unsustainable levels.
“We are advocating for quality provision of health services, we need urgent aid reforms and public debt restructuring linked to health, education and other public services,” Said Jobe.
In her remarks A Representative for Young Urban Women Network under Action Aid Joan Ching’amba said the debts have a huge impact on various sectors including Health and Education mostly the vulnerable groups are women and children.
She said women can’t get enough funding to support their education hence can’t be empowered resulting to high chances of being abused.
” It is a huge burden to our women and girls since they can’t access health services such as sexual reproductive health resulting in unwanted pregnancies”, she said.
Malawi’s economy has been severely impacted by multiple shocks, including Cyclone Freddy and the COVID-19 pandemic, which have hindered economic recovery and led to a significant accumulation of debt from the IMF and MDBs.
