President implicated in tender corruption

The resignation of Vincent Sikelo, head of Malawi’s Government Contracting Unit, has thrown fresh light on the deepening governance crisis at the heart of President Lazarus Chakwera’s administration. According to Malawi 24, Sikelo reportedly walked away from his post, citing unbearable political pressure to allegedly endorse irregular contracts that insiders say had no merit. The revelation comes just hours after The Investigator Magazine published an explosive exposé detailing what it described as a ‘systematic looting syndicate’ allegedly orchestrated by Chakwera and Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Colleen Zamba. The investigative report outlined a pattern of manipulation within procurement processes, pointing to inflated tenders, opaque contract awards and the sidelining of oversight institutions. Sources within Capitol Hill suggest that Sikelo’s resistance to allegedly rubber-stamping questionable deals marked him as a stumbling block to powerful figures within government. His abrupt departure, therefore, is being viewed by observers as evidence of the growing rot in Malawi’s public sector contracting system. Analysts argue that the timing of his resignation, coming on the heels of the explosive media revelations, signals an attempt by the embattled government to contain fallout before the scandal spirals further. Civil society organisations have already begun demanding clarity, with calls for a full audit of all contracts approved under the current administration.

Full Malawi24 report