LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-As of November 20, 2025, most of Malawi’s parastatal boards remain vacant, more than six weeks after the government dissolved all previous boards.

The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) announced the dissolution of all boards of parastatal organisations and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) on October 7, 2025, with immediate effect.

When contacted on the appointments delay, President Peter Mutharika’s Press Secretary Cathy Maulidi referred The Maravi Post to Chief Secretary arguing that, “The State House is the last slot to comment as it starts from Chief Secretary”.

Chief Secretary to Malawi government Justin Saidi acknowledged the delay.

Saidi however cited complications in the appointment process as the reason for the delay in filling the vacancies.

He therefore assured that the reconstitution of boards is underway, though no comprehensive list of new appointees has been released to date.

The absence of functioning boards has created a governance vacuum, raising concerns among experts about potential risks and the concentration of power in the hands of SOE executives.

During this period, all matters requiring the attention of boards are being directed to the OPC through the Department of Statutory Corporations.

The Department has also suspended all ongoing and planned recruitments and major procurements across all parastatals to prevent irregularities during the transitional period.

Since the dissolution, the only notable appointment announced has been that of Felix Tambulasi as Commissioner General of the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA).

However, Tambulasi’s appointment is an executive position and does not address the vacancies at board level.

Governance experts warn that prolonged vacancies could hinder decision-making, delay critical projects, and increase administrative bottlenecks within state-owned enterprises.

Some observers have urged the government to expedite the appointment process to restore proper oversight and accountability in parastatals.

The government maintains that once the process is complete, new boards will be equipped to provide effective governance and ensure transparency in operations.

As the appointment process continues, stakeholders remain keenly monitoring developments to gauge how soon Malawi’s parastatals will regain functional leadership.

The Maravi Post