Greetings from the Munda wa Chitedze Farm where we relocated from the hustle and bustle of your city, that concrete jungle.
It has been an ever-Merry Christmas for us here, checking on the rain-fed crop. In addition, the rains are falling properly as they were yesterday.
At the farm, the villagers were talking about how hard prisoners celebrate Christmas. Sitinaikepo mlomo, for fear of contradictions.
Then, why do the authorities fear prison so much? It is simply because they feel it is for the efulefule like you and us.
It is not hot air. Records show that there was once some secretary general of the Malawi Congress Party and Special Branch honcho who brought a VIP section at the Zomba Maximum Prison. In their thinking, the two thought the VIP section would be a greater torture zone for Dr Banda’s opponents.
They were wrong. They occupied the space first before anyone else.
Was it Focus Gwede and Muwalo Nqumayo? Our memory is fickle, but prison literature seems to be clear on that one.
Then, Gwanda Chakuamba, then regional chairman for the South felt prison was not a hotel that prisoners should be fed as much as they would have. He proposed a meal a day. Not just a meal, but also the most basic of meals!
Dear Diary, we are not here talking about prisons and prisoners and how hard it feels to be in the dungeon during the festive season like this one. Maula is not safe.
So, Jane Ansah’s name has once again been back in the headlines, and not for reasons that inspire confidence in the rule of law or respect for public office. Reports that she wanted to embark on a private trip financed by public funds have ignited a fire among Malawians.
For a judicial officer of her stature, a Senior Counsel who once presided over the country’s botched electoral process, this latest scandal is not just a lapse in judgment—it is a betrayal of the very principles she was meant to uphold.
At the Farm, we have always remembered how she oversaw the Tippexed 2019 polls as chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission. The infamous Tippex scandal, led to a collapse of public trust in the electoral system.
You will say these two issues are not related. Then, what was the Constitutional Court ruling?
Citizens who queued for hours to cast their votes felt cheated, and the courts eventually nullified the results, forcing a fresh presidential election. That moment was a turning point in our democracy, and her name became synonymous with electoral malpractice and arrogance in the face of public outrage. Her resignation came only after months of protests, marches and calls for accountability.
Now, years later, her alleged decision to use taxpayer’s money for a private trip, to celebrate her husband’s birthday has re-opened old wounds.
Wait a minute. What is all her PR team trying to do to quench the fire? From both her office and that of the official government team, we have the message: “Malawians, it is indeed a private visit. But you still have to foot it, whether at K2 billion or K168 million.”
The difference is the same.
It is not simply about the cost of the journey. It is about the principle: Public funds are meant to serve the people, not bankroll the leisure of top government officials. For someone who once held the responsibility of safeguarding Malawi’s democracy, this conduct is indefensible.
Dear Diary, this is not about gender. It is about conduct. It is about a judicial officer, a Vice-President who should embody integrity but instead flaunts impunity. It is about a Senior Counsel who should protect the sanctity of public resources but instead raids them for personal gain. It is about a public figure who should restore trust but instead erodes it further.
Malawi’s democracy is fragile. It depends on the credibility of institutions and the integrity of those who lead them. When someone of Jane Ansah’s stature abuses public funds, it sends a dangerous message: That accountability is optional, that the law is pliable, and that public office is a licence for indulgence. Such behaviour undermines the sacrifices of citizens who continue to demand transparency, fairness and justice in governance.
