Africa-Press – Malawi. The State has asked the court for 14 more days to “complete investigations” into former Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba, even as she has already walked free on bail in a case involving alleged mass abuse of public office.
Zamba, once one of the most powerful civil servants in Malawi, was dramatically arrested on Wednesday at Kamuzu International Airport as she prepared to board a flight to Switzerland. She was detained inside the airport’s VIP Lounge, whisked to Police Headquarters for questioning—and by Friday, she was back on the streets.
The State, represented by Festus Sakanda from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) chambers, told the Lilongwe Magistrate’s Court that it rushed Zamba to court merely to “inform her of the charges” she is facing—while investigations remain incomplete.
In a system that moves at lightning speed for the poor but crawls for the powerful, the State now wants more time to put together a case after making a high-profile arrest.
Granting bail, Chief Resident Magistrate Austin Banda ordered that Zamba’s Area 43 residence be used as surety. She must report to National Police Headquarters every fortnight, surrender her travel documents, and is barred from leaving the country without court approval.
Despite allegations involving hundreds of questionable appointments, the court stopped short of imposing tougher restrictions, a move that has triggered public outrage and backlash on social media.
Zamba’s lawyer, Sylvester Ayuba James, confirmed that his client has been charged with abuse of office, with the State alleging that she illegally employed at least 300 people into the public service between 2022 and 2023 without following laid-down procedures.
This is the same public service where qualified graduates rot at home for years without jobs—while backdoor recruits allegedly flood in under political protection.
James even protested that the bail conditions were “too punitive” for his client.
“We asked the court to relax the conditions for her to appear every two weeks instead of weekly, which the court agreed. We also argued for house surety, but the court sided with the State,” he said.
Outside court, a smiling Zamba thanked sympathisers who had gathered to cheer her, turning what should have been a moment of national reckoning into a spectacle of political solidarity.
Her arrest had disrupted a planned trip to Geneva, Switzerland, where she was reportedly going to attend her daughter’s graduation—a journey she nearly completed before the law intercepted her at the departure gate.
Zamba served as SPC under the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) administration from 2022 to 2025, replacing ZangaZanga Chikhosi, who was the first SPC under President Lazarus Chakwera from 2020 to May 2022.
Now, with the State openly admitting it is still building its case after arresting her, many Malawians are asking uncomfortable questions:
Was this a serious prosecution—or just a public relations arrest? Is this accountability—or a carefully managed spectacle?
As the State asks for more time, the public waits to see whether this case will expose the truth behind alleged large-scale corruption—or quietly collapse under the weight of power and privilege.
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