By Isaac Salima
Some members of civil society organisations and security experts have said the citizenry is being owed an explanation on the issue of the number of security personnel that have been escorting State Vice President (VP) Michael Usi on his engagements.
Pictures that have been circulating on social media show Usi surrounded by a high number of security personnel.
This happened when he was visiting vendors in the administrative capital of Lilongwe.
Some video clips show Usi being escorted by almost 20 security officers.
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Spokesperson in the VP’s office Pilirani Phiri did not respond to our questionnaire.
On the other hand, Malawi Police Service spokesperson Peter Kalaya described the security entourage as normal.
“We do not discuss [the issue of] security of such VVIPs [Very Very Important Persons] with the general public.
“However, deployment of security officers depends on the security threat. You cannot expect a small number of security officers to the Vice President, who is visiting vendors in Lilongwe,” Kalaya said.
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Under the President’s Salaries and Benefits Act, the VP is entitled to, among other benefits, one personal bodyguard, one head of security guards, six security guards, two chauffeurs, two cooks and personal assistants.
Security expert Sherif Kaisi said the authorities should always go by the law that guides the provision of security to VVIPs.
“If there is an increase in the security personnel, the general public must be told because there are costs that accompany such deployment of security and the cost is covered by the taxpayer. This is why we need to know what happened because the security personnel that we saw were giving the impression that it was the President and not the vice,” he said.
Chairperson for National Advocacy Platform, Benedicto Kondowe, described the number of security personnel as “shocking”.
“Malawi is not a military state, neither is it at war. It was shocking to see the number of security personnel walking with the Vice President. Unless there was a security scare, that cannot be justifiable. The benefits for the Vice President, in terms of security, are very clear. As such, we expect the Vice President to respect his own entitlement with the law.
“Malawi is going through an economic crisis and needs to be saving resources that can even support our health facilities with medical supplies. The office of the Vice President owes Malawians, who are taxpayers and employers, an explanation. The nation needs to know why the VP used such bloated security, which is more than prescribed in his entitlements.” Kondowe said.
Chairperson for Human Rights Defenders Coalition Gift Trapence said the VP “huge security is a waste of resources”.
“While the Vice President deserves protection, deploying nearly 20 security officers for a market visit is excessive and tone-deaf in the face of Malawi’s economic crisis. This display smacks of extravagance at a time when citizens are tightening their belts. Leaders must lead with humility, exercise restraint and ensure that every public resource reflects accountability and respect for the people they serve,” he said.
Executive Director of Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency Willy Kambwandira said this was “abuse of authority”.
“This is a blatant abuse of taxpayers’ money. It also confirms that we have leaders in the country who are comfortably living in their own world while the rest of Malawians are facing a lot of challenges.
“As someone who is championing the implementation of public sector reforms, the Vice President must lead by example. Malawians must not celebrate this level of impunity. They must rise up and start demanding personal accountability from their leaders,” he said.
Usi has been visiting vendors, where he interacts and buys items from them.
