Beatrice Mwangonde

Beatrice Mwangonde was chairperson of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Her role has become more pronounced as she sat on the committee at a time it has been seeking answers in the infamous Cashgate. Her committee wanted to understand how billions of kwacha were looted from government coffers. Mwangonde admits to political interference in the course of this noble task, but she has not let femininity or stereotypes get in her way. She speaks to Caroline Somanje.

Who is Beatrice Mwangonde?

Beatrice Mwangonde is a wife, mother to three beautiful children and a business woman.

Tell me your educational background, your interests and upbringing

I was born in Blantyre, Malawi and raised in Zambia. I hold an advanced diploma in computer studies with a major in business management and also an advanced diploma in business administration.   I like travelling to new places and tasting their local food. I also just love being a mother at home besides watching reality and business channels, reading a good book when time permits.

How has it been for a woman to head the institution amid the Cashgate crisis?

I don’t think it would have been any easier being the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson if I were a man. This I think is a time that has put every individual or institution concerned with public accountability to test.

Do you feel you are up to the challenge of heading PAC as a woman?

To say the truth, I have never felt challenged as a woman, but I find myself in a committee without any background knowledge on how the committee works, just like it has been for any member.  Fortunately, Parliament has a good support system in form of committee clerks who are always there in case one is stuck. So sure, I have always felt up to the challenge.

What moves you as a woman?

Shakespeare once talked about the world being like a stage where everyone has a part to play. I wake up every day knowing I have a role to play.  It is not easy knowing exactly what one’s role is and it may take years for one to discover that. I just work hard at anything worthwhile presented to me.

Culturally, Malawians do not believe in women taking up leadership positions. How do you handle such stereotypes?

It is unfortunate that we still have stereotypes up to this day, but it has never bothered me because, as a victim, I am not the problem. Maybe that is why we don’t even have a name for the victim of the stereotype, only of the perpetrator.  I also think that stereotyping is impersonal, so I find it easier to deal with any kind. Mostly, I take no offence. After all, it is a known fact that women have to actually work even harder than men to prove themselves.

Attempts to bring more women into decision-making positions through the 50/50 campaign seem to be failing. What lessons can be drawn from your own experience?

Unfortunately, the problem of fewer women in decision-making positions is not unique to Malawi, but most countries including developed ones.  Since the 1994 first multiparty elections, the integration of women in the public sphere and politics in particular has had a profound impact on political participation in Malawi. Whereas women were once excluded and largely absent from politics, women are now visibly active as candidates, legislators or voters.

Referring to your question, I agree that notwithstanding the strides made, significant gaps between men and women participation remain. This can be largely attributed to our hostile and unaccommodating political environment for women. Malawi was applauded for only having reached 22 percent women representation in Parliament. According to the 2008 Population and Housing Census, our female population is 52 percent. Therefore, in my view, a fair representational percentage to be fighting for is the 52%. But I am also painfully aware that even 50 percent is a huge task for the campaigners. Stumbling blocks facing women are many. These include stereotyping, lack of adequate support from within their families and overwhelming responsibilities that make it almost impossible for women to perform to their full potential. It takes extraordinary women to rise above all the challenges. The task the 50/50 campaigners have is to build ordinary women into extraordinary ones. This calls for a lot of resources and on-going programmes that will be aimed at tackling different issues such as civic education to reduce cultural beliefs impacting women’s progress.  It is not enough for the campaigners coming in only during the political campaign period.

How has heading PAC impacted your life?

It has broadened my scope of understanding the world in general and in particular the Malawi social, cultural, political and economic spectra.  Public hearings we held gave me an understanding of the complexity of the realm in which parliament and committees operate.

The current financial scandal has laid bare the hopelessness of our society and the need for a meaningful direction. As a nation, we need to deal with gaps in our Constitution if we are to make progress.

I have further learnt that the Cashgate has given Malawi a chance to develop common reference points to which all of us can look up beyond the 20 May elections. This could form our charters in various areas such as good governance.

What has been your experience as PAC chair?

It was scary heading a parliamentary committee with a majority of men. I now feel blessed to work with perhaps one of the most disciplined committees and with very supportive men.  I was supported in all different ways.  I also encountered the stereotypes, but their number is almost negligible and I am grateful to God for that. I believe I am a better person now because of all the different kinds of people.

What have been your challenges and success stories?

My first success is my election as a Member of Parliament at a time when the political terrain was rough after the 2004-2009. I am proud that I presided over a committee handling a scandal that is unprecedented in the history of Malawi. The only closer scenario is the credit scheme account scam in the Ministry of Finance in 2005, which was handled by the late Respicius Dzanjalimodzi as chairperson of PAC. Cashgate involves more than K13 billion and has attracted the attention of stakeholders beyond our geopolitical sphere. When I was elected as chairperson, it was significant to me due to the nature of the committee and the stereotypes. For the first time, the committee is up-to-date on the reports. I am proud that my successor will start on a clean slate. This will boost the efficiency and effectiveness of the committee.

Challenges; the committee has been in certain cases, characterised by politicking, where political interests nearly jeopardised progress of some enquiries. This was particularly the case during the enquiry into Cashgate. It is not been easy to control the committee in such an environment.

It was discovered that sometimes committees overlap their mandate, especially where an issue for enquiry is not well defined and unprecedented. In such cases, it requires the secretariat to do a lot of research and home work to justify the committee’s agenda.

PAC meetings were largely affected by funding inconsistencies. These did not only paralyse the expected virgour of the committee, but also put the statutory independence of Parliament into doubt.