Zamba Snubs Parliament As Amaryllis Hotel Probe Deepens!

Reported by Mustapha Omolabake Omowumi, (Journalist) | Sele Media Africa.

LILONGWE, Malawi — Former Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba has declined to appear before Malawi Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee over the Amaryllis Hotel purchase, deepening scrutiny of a deal now under intense public review. Parliament summoned Zamba to explain her role in the transaction, but she has not complied, according to Malawi24’s report on April 23, 2026.

The refusal lands at a sensitive moment for Malawi’s anti-corruption and fiscal oversight institutions. The hotel purchase, executed through the Public Service Pension Trust Fund, has already sparked questions about value for money, governance, and the use of public pension resources. Malawi24 reported that the property sold for about K128 billion, while independent estimates placed it far lower, and committee hearings have kept the matter in the national spotlight.

A Deal Under Heavy Scrutiny

The Amaryllis Hotel transaction sits at the centre of one of Malawi’s most politically charged procurement disputes in years. Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee has been examining how the Public Service Pension Trust Fund acquired the hotel and whether officials followed due process.

Malawi24 reported on March 11, 2026, that the valuation process itself raised fresh concern after EMJ Advisory Public Accountants told the committee it had produced a business valuation, not a property valuation, and that it lacked registration as a property valuer. That detail matters because it goes to the heart of whether the fund relied on proper professional advice before committing public money.

On March 25, 2026, Malawi24 reported that suspended Public Service Pension Trust Fund principal officer George Jimu told Parliament that senior government officials, including Zamba, exerted undue influence over the process. Those claims remain allegations, but they have widened the political and institutional fallout around the purchase.

Parliament Wants Answers

The Public Accounts Committee summoned Zamba to clarify her role in the transaction, according to Malawi24’s April 23, 2026 report. Her failure to appear gives the committee a sharper institutional challenge because PAC hearings rely on testimony from officials who helped approve, influence, or oversee public spending decisions.

That refusal also complicates the committee’s task of reconstructing the chain of decision-making. Malawi24 reported on March 13, 2026, that missing minutes from a key January 2024 board meeting raised questions about transparency in the pension fund’s internal process, including whether the fund should have proceeded with the acquisition at all.

The committee’s inquiry now touches several layers of state oversight. It involves parliamentary accountability, pension fund governance, valuation standards, and the role of senior executive officials in what critics describe as a deeply irregular transaction.

Money, Valuation, And Risk

The numbers have driven public anger. Malawi24 reported on April 7, 2026, that the hotel sold for K128.7 billion, while independent valuations placed it at about K48 billion, a gap that critics say suggests the pension fund overpaid by a wide margin.

A similar concern surfaced when Malawi24 reported on March 11, 2026, that EMJ Advisory Public Accountants placed the hotel’s business value between K115 billion and K145 billion. That estimate sits much closer to the sale price, but the committee’s issue extends beyond valuation ranges and into whether the right type of valuation and adviser guided the purchase.

Malawi24 also reported on March 18, 2026, that at least K72 billion linked to the deal had been frozen, while the Anti-Corruption Bureau and other agencies pursued the trail of money. That development shows the inquiry has moved beyond parliamentary questioning and into financial restraint measures.

Anti-Corruption Probe Expands

The Anti-Corruption Bureau has publicly confirmed that it found no evidence of crime at one stage of the inquiry, but it also said it remained open to reopening the case if new evidence emerged. Malawi24 reported on March 12, 2026, that acting Director General Gabriel Chembezi told Parliament the bureau saw no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, while also recommending a forensic audit of the fund.

That dual message matters. It signals caution from investigators, but it also leaves the door open for further action if Parliament or auditors uncover new facts. In a case this politically sensitive, that approach can calm one set of concerns while frustrating another.

On April 4, 2026, Malawi24 reported that the ACB had intensified its probe and was tracing suspicious cash withdrawals totalling K5.497 billion from a Yusuf Investments account. If confirmed through admissible evidence, that trail could reshape the public understanding of how the transaction moved from procurement decision to payment execution.

Reaction And Political Fallout

Critics say Zamba’s refusal to appear before Parliament weakens the accountability process. The Malawi Law Society, as quoted by Malawi24 on March 12, 2026, argued that clearing officials without full transparency could erode confidence in investigations. That criticism reflects a broader fear that high-profile probes can lose legitimacy when key witnesses stay away.

Supporters of the inquiry, however, argue that Parliament has a duty to push harder. Malawi24 reported on April 7, 2026, that whistleblower Alexious Kamangila accused members of the committee of taking bribes to derail the investigation, though those allegations remain unproven and require independent verification. The claim shows how deeply the scandal has split the political and civic environment.

The public reaction has also shifted toward a broader question: whether Malawi’s institutions can police major deals involving pension assets and state-linked money without fear or favour. That question now extends beyond one hotel and one former official.

What The Law And Process Require

Parliamentary committees in Malawi hold oversight powers to summon witnesses and examine public expenditure, especially where taxpayers’ money or pension funds face risk. When a summoned official declines to appear, lawmakers can intensify pressure through further summonses, referrals, or follow-up proceedings, depending on the applicable parliamentary rules and any supporting legal powers.

The anti-corruption process adds another layer. The ACB’s public statements suggest investigators have not closed the file, even after one round of findings. Malawi24 reported that Chembezi recommended a long-term forensic audit, which indicates the bureau sees the need for deeper financial reconstruction before any final conclusion.

That process matters because procurement cases often turn not only on whether money moved, but on whether officials observed due diligence, obtained credible valuations, and documented internal approvals. In the Amaryllis case, missing records, disputed valuations, and an absent witness now sit at the centre of the legal and institutional test.

Why Malawi Matters Beyond Malawi

The Amaryllis Hotel scandal carries lessons far beyond Lilongwe and Blantyre. In Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, and Ghana, pension and public investment debates have repeatedly tested how governments balance returns, transparency, and political influence over large asset purchases. Malawi now faces the same scrutiny on a highly visible stage.

For West Africa, the story echoes long-running questions about whether public funds can survive weak oversight in politically connected transactions. For Southern Africa, it raises concern about how pension systems safeguard retirement savings when state officials and investment managers clash over high-value deals. Malawi’s outcome will therefore matter to reformers watching from Lusaka, Pretoria, Accra, and Nairobi.

The case also speaks to global investors and development partners who track governance risk in public procurement. When a pension fund faces questions over valuation, record-keeping, and witness co-operation, confidence in institutional discipline weakens, even before a court or parliamentary committee reaches a final conclusion.

What Happens Next

Parliament now faces a simple but difficult test: whether it can compel testimony, preserve evidence, and keep the inquiry focused on facts rather than political theatre. If Zamba continues to stay away, the committee may need to escalate its response and document her non-compliance for the public record.

The ACB, meanwhile, continues to follow the money and review whether the purchase crossed the line from poor judgment into criminal conduct. For Malawi’s pensioners, taxpayers, and oversight bodies, the next hearings will determine whether the Amaryllis Hotel case becomes a landmark in accountability or another symbol of unresolved state capture risk.

Sources:
Malawi24, report on Colleen Zamba’s refusal to appear before PAC, April 2026.

Malawi24, report on Amaryllis Hotel valuation concerns, March 2026.

Malawi24, report on ACB findings and probe updates, March–April 2026.

Malawi24, report on PAC testimony and alleged influence claims, March 2026.

Sele Media Africa, related coverage of Malawi governance and accountability, https://www.selemedia.org