…why is govt spending more?
Questions are mounting over why the Malawi Government is spending K2.4 million to bring home one stranded Malawian from South Africa when a citizen-led initiative says it is doing the same job for just K253,000 per person.
The comparison has ignited a heated debate over whether taxpayers are getting value for money from the government’s proposed K24.7 billion repatriation budget.
The debate was amplified by Jack MacBrams on X, who contrasted the government’s plan with a citizen-led effort spearheaded by author and public commentator Onjezani Kenani.
In a Facebook post, Kenani said his team is repatriating 85 stranded Malawians from South Africa at an estimated cost of K253,000 per person.
“We paid R203,000 for the bus that has just departed from South Africa. We were quoted 66 passengers, but we have carried 85,” Kenani wrote.
The figures have deepened scrutiny over the government’s plan, with critics questioning the wide gap in per-person costs and value for money.
MacBrams said the difference is nearly 10 times higher in the government’s estimate.
“So @onjezani & the citizens’ movement are repatriating 85 Malawians at K253,000 per person. Yet @MalawiGovt says it needs K24 billion to repatriate 10,000 people, a cost of K2.4 million per person. That is nearly 10 times more expensive…” MacBrams wrote on X.
He questioned the spending, asking why citizens can achieve the same humanitarian goal at a fraction of the cost, and where the additional money would go.
“The numbers raise serious questions about efficiency & value for money in public spending. When citizens can achieve the same humanitarian goal at a fraction of the cost, taxpayers deserve clear answers: Why is government spending so much more? Where is the money going,” he asked.
A budget document from the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) under the Office of the President and Cabinet shows the government is seeking K24.7 billion to repatriate 10,000 people, translating to about K2.4 million per person.
However, the DoDMA budget indicates the allocation goes beyond transport costs.
It includes bus hire, transport from Blantyre to home districts, food and water, temporary shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, security lighting, family tracing and reunification, coordination teams, fuel for escort vehicles, and camp management operations in South Africa.
