Former Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Colleen Zamba is scheduled to appear before Mkulula First Grade Magistrate’s Court in Dowa today in her attempt to vacate two warrants of arrest hanging above her head.
The State wants Zamba, who is being represented by lawyer George Jivason Kadzipatike of Jivason and Company lawyers, arrested for money laundering and abuse of office in the controversial sale of Amaryllis Hotel.
Previously, the former SPC was arrested on December 3 2025 at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe for allegedly recruiting about 300 people into the public service without following procedures.
Zamba was again arrested in February 2026 alongside former minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale and former minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Sosten Gwengwe and was charged with conspiracy to commit crime and abuse of office.
of arrest: Zamba. | Nation
Prosecutors allege that the trio conspired to defraud government by corruptly awarding a contract to East Bridge Estate SRL for the supply of 600 000 metric tonnes of fertiliser purportedly in exchange for agricultural produce.
However, the fertiliser was not delivered.
Meanwhile, in the latest case, Kadzipatike has submitted to the court that her client is currently in South Africa for medical attention, citing an order from the Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court extending her stay in that country.
Reads the affidavits: “That the applicant is aggrieved with the issuance of the warrant of arrest on file against her and she prays that the warrant of arrest be set aside. According to the applicant, the State is victimising her and abusing its powers of arrest.
“The applicant states further that it is unnecessary to commence the third case by way of arrest when there is another less degrading way of commencing a criminal case—by way of summons.”
The Nation has seen a copy of a medical report from a hospital in Sandton, South Africa, dated March 11 2026, which recommended Zamba for further treatment and compelled the Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court on March 17 2026 to extend her stay in the Rainbow Nation.
Reads the extension order: “That time for the applicant, Colleen Zamba, to stay out of jurisdiction, be and is hereby extended pending the hearing and determination of interpartes summons for extension of time.”
Last Tuesday, Malawi Police Fiscal and Fraud Section detectives raided Zamba’s residence in search of alleged proceeds of money laundering.
National Police spokesperson Lael Chimtembo confirmed the development, but did not provide further details on what they found.
On March 31, Kadzipatike wrote the Clerk of Parliament, stating that the State commenced Criminal Case Number 266 of 2026 against Zamba on charges of abuse of office in connection with the sale of Amaryllis Hotel.
“We have deliberately brought this information to your attention so that the Public Accounts Committee is made aware that apart from her absence on account of her attendance to medical treatment outside Malawi, our client was also not under obligation to attend hearing on 30th March 2026 as the matters raised in her summons are in court,” reads the letter in part.
Meanwhile, Kadzipatike has said his client is unnecessarily being molested by the State.
“The impression that we are getting is that the police are rushing to act on petty rumours rather than concrete evidence of wrongdoing.
He said: “I would urge the police to always have concrete evidence before they rush to obtain draconian court orders such as warrants of arrest. Ultimately, it will be Malawians who will pay damages for such negligent conduct.”
Zamba served as SPC, a designation now changed to Chief Secretary to the Government, under the immediate-past Malawi Congress Party administration between 2022 and September 2025.
