The Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) has finally approved the retirement of UTM Party President Dalitso Kabambe, bringing closure to a five-year standoff over his employment status in the public service.
In a letter signed by Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba, Kabambe’s request to retire has been approved with effect from January 16, 2025.
Kabambe was seconded to the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) as Governor from the Ministry of Finance in 2017.
The letter acknowledges correspondence from Kabambe’s lawyers, TF & Partners, dating back to 2020, where his option to retire early under the Malawi Public Service Regulations was outlined.
Despite this, Kabambe maintained that he had resigned “long time ago,” a claim government had previously resisted, insisting his position at the central bank was a secondment from the civil service.
The delay in approving his retirement came amidst his interdiction in 2023 following allegations of falsifying documents during his tenure as RBM governor.
The accusations, which Kabambe has consistently denied, were tied to claims that the documents were intended to convince the International Monetary Fund that Malawi was meeting Extended Credit Facility benchmarks. Kabambe has described the charges as politically motivated.
The OPC’s approval of his retirement effectively clears him of the restrictions imposed on civil servants engaging in political activities, as enshrined in Section 193(2) of the Constitution. This opens the way for Kabambe to fully immerse himself in politics as UTM Party president without legal or administrative hurdles.
