First Vice-President Jane Ansah has disputed reports that she will blow K1.9 billion of public resources on her UK private trip, but has kept a tight lid on the actual cost.
The Office of the Vice-President said in a statement yesterday that the Second Citizen remains committed to transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
But governance and accountability advocates have said that dismissing the purported budget that went viral on social media from Monday without disclosing the actual cost was not enough and fell short on accountability.
In a statement yesterday, Office of the Vice-President spokesperson Richard Mveriwa said the documents circulating on social media platforms indicating the budget for the trip were fake and misleading.
He said the documents did not originate from any government institution and do not reflect official records or approved government expenditures.
Said Mveriwa: “Members of the public are, therefore, advised to treat such information with caution and to rely only on communication issued through official government channels.
“The Office of the Vice-President remains committed to transparency, accountability and the responsible use of public resources, and strongly condemns the deliberate spread of false information intended to mislead the public.”
But Mveriwa did not respond to follow up questions on the exact budget for the trip Ansah will undertake from December 26.
While welcoming the clarification, National Advocacy Platform chairperson Benedicto Kondowe in an interview yesterday said the statement does not fully resolve the underlying public concern.
He said: “While correcting figures and explaining procedural approvals is important, transparency is not only about disputing claims of a ‘fake budget’, it is about proactively disclosing the full cost, funding sources, approval processes, and value-for-money justification in a clear and accessible manner.
“Government would build greater public trust by routinely publishing detailed travel budgets and post-trip outcomes, so that such trips are judged not on speculation, but on demonstrable national benefit rather than reactive damage control.”
Economist Christopher Mbukwa from Mzuzu University said the statement is only disputing the social media reports without providing the actual figures.
He said: “With the amounts spent on these trips, how many school blocks would be built, dialysis machines would be procured, cancer medications that are scarce would be sourced, smallholder farmers who would be reached with fertilisers, etc.
“No one would be willing to adhere to the control measures if offices that are supposed to lead by example are doing the opposite. The opportunity cost of these trips is very high and too expensive on the part of Malawians.”
Accountability expert Willy Kambwandira also said dismissing the documents as false and misleading without disclosing the authentic travel budget, passenger list and funding source undermines public trust rather than restoring it.
He said: “In a climate of severe fiscal stress, Malawians are justified to be sceptical. Trust is not demanded by press statements; it is earned through full, verifiable disclosure.
“Publish the official budget
clarify whether the trip is public or private, name who is paying for what, and subject the trip to parliamentary and audit scrutiny. Anything less feeds the perception of secrecy, entitlement, and abuse of public resources.”
In a letter dated December 11 2025 to the Malawi High Commission in the UK, Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Chauncy Simwaka said the VP will undertake the private visit from December 26 2025 to January 10 2026.
While the Office of the Vice- President has kept a tight lid on finer detils of the trip, social media platforms were on Monday awash with reports that the VP is set to attend the 80th birthday of her husband, Bishop Joseph Addo Ansah on January 3 next year.
Ansah’s private visit comes after President Peter Mutharika on December 1 2025 left the country for South Africa on his first international trip since he was sworn-in on October 4 2025. Mutharika returned home on December 15. Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Justin Saidi said the President travelled to the Rainbow Nation on a “private visit”.
