LILONGWE, MALAWI – The contract for Colleen Zamba, the powerful and controversial head of Malawi’s civil service, has expired, plunging her future into uncertainty and intensifying a national debate over allegations of corruption and abuse of power that have marked her tenure.
As Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC), Zamba holds one of the most influential positions in the country. Her three-year term concluded amidst a reported campaign within the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to prevent her reappointment. However, others speculate that President Lazarus Chakwera may yet renew her contract, a move that would defy his critics and risk further political fallout.
Zamba, a University of Glasgow graduate who once had a distinguished career at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has seen her reputation battered by a series of high-profile scandals since taking office.
Among the most significant allegations, reported extensively by Malawi’s The Investigator Magazine, is her purported role in a massive K1.5 trillion (approx. $860 million USD) fuel and fertiliser deal. The transaction was allegedly arranged with a man presented as a Dubai sheikh, who was later exposed as a fraudulent figure. The deal, intended to supply the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA)—an entity Zamba chaired—and the Ministry of Agriculture, reportedly faltered when suppliers were not paid, contributing to a severe national fuel crisis.
This followed earlier controversies in the energy sector. Zamba was accused of attempting to steer lucrative contracts, including a $600 million coal project, towards a Nigerian associate. The issue escalated into a public conflict with the then-CEO of NOCMA, Hellen Buluma, and led to a parliamentary inquiry, which Zamba declined to attend.
Beyond financial scandals, Zamba has been accused of a severe abuse of power. Her most noted action was the suspension of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General Martha Chizuma, a move that was widely condemned as an attempt to undermine the country’s top anti-graft body and was later deemed unlawful by the courts. Critics also accuse Zamba of lowering standards within the public service by systematically appointing political loyalists and relatives to key positions.
Despite the gravity of these claims and the reported opposition within his own party, President Chakwera has thus far appeared reluctant to act against Zamba. Her reappointment or dismissal is now seen as a critical test of the President’s commitment to good governance and his administration’s stance on accountability.
