Malawi’s de facto Ambassador to Israel David Bisnowatty has been embroiled in abuse of public resources allegations barely months he was nominated into the job.
Highly placed sources in Malawi’s Ministry of Finance have revealed that Biznowatty convinced the Malawi government that he would work in Israel as Malawi representative pro-bono.
The source further revealed that Biznowatty promised the Malawi Government that he would take care of the monthly rentals.
In return, the Malawi government gave him the highly sought after Diplomatic Passport together with his wife and kids.
Said the source: “Biznowatty, who is already in Israel as the de facto ambassador, claimed he would work pro bono because he has Malawi’s best interests at heart. However, the embassy has already spent over MK600 million on Biznowatty, including purchasing a top-of-the-range Mercedes Benz worth $110,000 (MK275 million) in less than three months since he assumed office in Tel Aviv.
“Despite these expenditures, there has been minimal impact on Malawi-Israel relations since his appointment.”
According to an anonymous source, the Foreign Affairs Minister is utilizing the embassy for personal purposes, disregarding standard protocols and procedures.
“Since the opening of the embassy in Israel and the nomination of David Biznowatty as Malawi’s ambassador, the office has been run haphazardly, with decisions made on a whim without adhering to official procedures or due diligence,” the source said.
“Biznowatty was presented as someone who would significantly enhance Malawi-Israel bilateral relations. However, contrary to those expectations, very little has happened in terms of impact,” the source noted.
“For example, since the signing of a labor MOU between Malawi and Israel, no Malawian has departed for work in Israel. Since the opening of the embassy and Biznowatty’s appointment, not a single Malawian has arrived in Israel, raising concerns among observers.”
The source also alleged that Biznowatty’s favorable position in Israel is due to his business partnership with Morgan Tembo, Nancy Tembo’s husband.
“Even the initial staff employed at the embassy in Tel Aviv are close relations of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as she has effectively turned the embassy into a hub for personal fulfillment rather than advancing the government’s agenda of promoting bilateral relations with Israel,” the source added.
While Malawi Government is coughing millions to fund the lavish lifestyle of Biznowatty who had promised to work as pro-bono, other embassies in Africa and outside of Africa are struggling financially with sources claiming diplomats are forced to buy their own toilet papers.
