By Brenda Kayo:
The government, through the Department of Human Resource Management and Development (DHRMD), has announced a nationwide personnel audit targeting all civil servants and public employees.
It says the exercise aims to verify the authenticity of employees and reconcile authorised positions with actual staffing across various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
According to a statement released by Secretary to DHRMD Blessings Chilabade, the audit will run from December 9, 2025 to February 6 next year.
The first phase of the audit will cover key government sectors, including the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (encompassing education divisions, colleges and secondary schools); Ministry of Health and Sanitation (including central and Christian Health Association of Malawi hospitals); Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development (including agricultural development divisions); Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development; security organs and all district councils.
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According to the report, the audit seeks to uncover irregularities such as ghost workers, fraudulent appointments and unqualified staff.
“All public servants in the targeted sectors are required to report in person to designated audit teams with essential documents, including national identification cards, academic and professional certificates, appointment letters and promotion or transfer letters,” the letter reads.
Controlling officers are mandated to provide approved documentation from DHRMD, especially for employees on long-term training.
The audit will be conducted by officials from DHRMD, the National Audit Office, National Registration Bureau and the Ministry of Finance.
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Heads of government departments and agencies have been urged to comply with the audit requirements.
The auditors say failure to appear on the appointed dates may result in employees being deemed non-bona fide public servants, potentially affecting their employment status.
Teachers Union of Malawi Secretary General Charles Kumchenga has acknowledged the importance of the audit in rooting out irregularities, including ghost workers.
However, he has also stressed that the audit should not come at the expense of innocent workers.
“We cannot afford to have innocent workers suffer due to delays in salary payments, missing names on the payroll or underpayment,” Kumchenga said.
He expressed concern about workers waiting in large numbers for hours without food and urged that respect and human consideration be applied during the audit process.
