Africa-Press – Malawi. Malawi’s Presidency has been thrown into fresh controversy after it emerged that President Peter Mutharika is still using his personal vehicle in the official presidential motorcade—months after his inauguration—raising serious legal, security and accountability concerns.
Presidential Press Secretary Cathy Maulidi has brushed off the fears, insisting the arrangement is acceptable because it “does not cost taxpayers a tambala.” But legal minds, governance watchdogs and security experts say the move is dangerous, unlawful and undermines State security systems.
The debate erupted after The Nation sought clarification on why the President has continued using his private American-made Escalade, even after assuming full powers on October 4 following his September 16 election victory.
National Advocacy Platform chairperson Benedicto Kondowe says the President is legally required to use officially designated State vehicles.
He cited Section 4 of the President’s Salaries and Benefits Act, which entitles the Head of State to official transport—not as a luxury, but as a mandatory security and accountability requirement.
“Official presidential vehicles are not ordinary cars. They are specially built to meet strict standards of protection, communication and emergency response,” Kondowe said.
“Once a President opts to use a personal vehicle, the State is forced to secretly upgrade it to those same security levels—raising the very costs that government claims to be avoiding.”
He added that using a private vehicle for State business blurs accountability.
“Government vehicles are auditable—fuel, repairs, insurance, everything. A private car used for official duty weakens transparency and opens dangerous room for abuse,” Kondowe warned.
Security expert Sherif Kaisi also expressed unease, saying that while saving public money may sound noble, presidential security cannot be gambled with.
“When you become President, there are sacrifices you make—and one of them is personal property. Security must override symbolism,” Kaisi said.
“Yes, the security agencies may have assessed the vehicle, but this is about balancing austerity with life-and-death security risks.”
Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT) executive director Willy Kambwandira dismissed the austerity argument as legally weak and institutionally dangerous.
“The Presidency is not a private arrangement. It is a public office governed by strict laws. Institutional integrity demands traceable, auditable, law-governed resources,” he said.
“Let the President use official vehicles so that every kwacha is accounted for.”
But Maulidi defended the President in a written response to The Nation, saying his continued use of the vehicle should be celebrated, not questioned.
“The President’s use of this vehicle poses no issue. Since the government is not allocating any additional resources for its use, he should in fact be commended,” she said.
The Escalade has since been fitted with the official presidential lion emblem, effectively transforming a private car into a symbol of State power—without the legal trail of a State asset.
As debates intensify, observers now ask: Is Malawi cutting costs—or cutting corners on presidential security, legality and accountability?
The controversy lays bare a deeper national tension between symbolic austerity and constitutional order, with the safety of the Head of State—and the integrity of public office—now squarely in the spotlight.
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