By Staff Reporter
A leaked government document has exposed plans for Jane Ansah to travel to the United Kingdom on a private visit accompanied by a staggering 16-member entourage, igniting fresh
over wasteful public spending amid harsh austerity measures.
The letter, dated 11 December and authored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, instructs the Malawi High Commission in London to alert British authorities and arrange full protocol and logistics “befitting the Office of the Vice President.”
According to the document, Ansah is scheduled to be in Nottingham from 26 December to 10 January. Despite the visit being classified as private, the delegation includes two assistants, five security officers, protocol, medical and administration staff, and a “special guest” identified as Linnet Matope.
The revelation cuts directly against the government’s own austerity drive—measures publicly sold to Malawians as necessary sacrifices to stabilize and revive the economy.
Asked to clarify, Vice President’s press officer Richard Mveriwa confirmed the UK trip but declined to provide details on the size, cost, or purpose of the entourage.
Civil society has reacted sharply. Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT) Executive Director Willy Kambwandira did not mince words, branding the trip “a clear abuse of public funds.”
“This is precisely the kind of excess austerity was meant to stop,” Kambwandira said, warning that such conduct erodes public trust and undermines economic recovery efforts.
As Malawians tighten their belts, the leaked document raises an uncomfortable question: who is austerity really for?
