By Chisomo Phiri
There was chaos in Parliament on Tuesday, July 28,2026,after heated exchanges erupted over the amount the government has spent to repatriate Malawians who fled xenophobic attacks in South Africa, with legislators demanding evidence and accountability over conflicting figures.
The tense debate centered on claims made by Lilongwe Nyanja Member of Parliament (MP) Steven Malondera, who questioned the government’s expenditure on the repatriation exercise during a political rally held in Lilongwe District over the weekend.
Speaking in Parliament, Malondera defended his remarks, insisting that he has credible evidence to support his assertion that the government spent K24.7 billion on the repatriation exercise.
He argued that the amount translates to about K1.6 million per person, raising concerns over the cost of transporting the returnees.
Malondera, who also chairs the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, told the House that he obtained transport quotations from Matours Bus Company, which he said supports his claims.
He subsequently submitted the documents to First Deputy Speaker Victor Musowa for consideration.
However, Leader of the House Jappie Mhango strongly disputed Malondera’s claims, maintaining that the government, through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA), has so far spent K9 billion on the repatriation exercise and not K24.7 billion as alleged.
Mhango demanded that Malondera apologise to the House, accusing him of spreading false information.
He also called on fellow MPs to consider removing Malondera from his position as Chairperson of the PAC because of the allegations.
According to Mhango, the K9 billion expenditure was used to facilitate the return of about 42,000 Malawians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks.
Taking his turn,Deputy Leader of the House and Minister of Information Shadric Namalomba also dismissed Malondera’s allegations, telling saying the government has so far spent K9 billion on the operation, translating to approximately K214,000 per person.
Following the heated exchanges, First Deputy Speaker Victor Musowa acknowledged receipt of the documents submitted by Malondera and ruled that the evidence would be reviewed before delivering a ruling on the matter.
The issue sparked further debate both inside and outside Parliament, with some members of the public calling on the government to present a detailed breakdown of the repatriation expenditure, including the number of beneficiaries and how the funds were utilized.
Others questioned the conflicting figures that have dominated public discussion and urged greater transparency.
The matter is expected to remain before Parliament as legislators await Musowa’s ruling after reviewing the evidence submitted by Malondera.
