LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-One of the country’s human rights activist Chimwemwe Mbeya Mhango Ntchindi has urged authorities to seriously recover funds from all Mega farms loans defaulters.
Mhango expressed worrisome on how the loans were disbursed particularly to well-to do individuals including powers politicians in the society.
The activist questions the legality requirements of loans that politicians, powerful individuals keep on benefiting at the expense of the poor.
Mhango is reacting to Mega farms loan defaulters which Minister of Agriculture Roza Mbilizi named and shamed in Parliament on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
“How could loans landed into already well-do-families, politicians hands at the expense of the poor people and even failing to pay back on time?
“I’m very worried on how poor people have been ripped off by politicians on these loans”.
“There should be a mechanism in which all loans defaulters are taken to task to pay back the funds,” he urges.
Agriculture Minister Mbilizi read out the names in Parliament after providing an update on what she described as a calculated, organized and cruel loan structure which was designed to deliberately defraud public resources through the mega farms project.
According to the Minister, in the 2023/24 farming season, out of the 10.79 billion kwacha loans disbursed, only MK3.4 billion was repaid while MK7.27 billion remain unpaid.
Mbilizi further revealed that in the 2024/25 agriculture season, MK55 billion remain remains defaulted by 68 borrowers out of 952 borrowers who accessed the loans representing 88% exposure.
The situation worsened in the 2024/25 season where MK49.8 billion was disbursed to 952 beneficiaries across the country.
About K55 billion that was supposed to be paid back by December 31 remains outstanding.
The Minister stunned the House by revealing that many beneficiaries were not genuine farmers but vendors who allegedly resold farm inputs on the open market for profit.
She described the arrangement as a calculated and organized structure deliberately designed to defraud public resources through the Mega Farms initiative.
The Malawi Agricultural and Industrial Investment Corporation (MAIIC), which managed the scheme, has attempted to recover the loans but with little success.
Government has since intensified recovery measures by issuing demand letters, engaging debt collectors and forwarding files of defaulters to the Attorney General for legal action.
As part of reforms, government has halted the “mega farms ang’onoang’ono” model for the 2025/26 season.
Among other notable names appearing on the list including Gotani Mkandawire, Hellen Chabunya, Symon Vuwa Kaunda, former ministers Khumbize Chaponda Kandodo, Ezekiel Ching’oma and Jean Sendeza alongside her husband Justin Likhunya, Ulemu Chilapondwa, late deputy first speaker Madalitso Kazombo and Rudo Chakwera.
Minister Mbilizi maintained that government is determined to recover every tambala owed and restore integrity in the agricultural sector, stressing that under the leadership of Arthur Peter Mutharika, Malawi will never face hunger again.