Mankhwala appointed PPDA Director General

The Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) has appointed George Mankhwala as director general, with civil society calling on him to address corruption concerns and restore public confidence in the institution.

Mankhwala takes over the leadership of the authority at a time when the government is implementing reforms aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and efficiency in public procurement.

In a statement announcing the appointment, PPDA said Mankhwala brings over 20 years of local and international experience in public procurement oversight, policy reform, digitalisation and contract management.

Reacting to the issue, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency Executive Director Willy Kambwandira said Malawians expected the new chief to bring meaningful changes to the management of the authority.

He said the new director general must demonstrate accountability in the management of public resources and ensure that the authority operates independently of political influence.

Before his appointment, Mankhwala served as Fiscal Agent Procurement Expert for Global Fund and Gavi grants in Malawi.

He has also provided consultancy and advisory services to Millennium Challenge Corporation programmes in several countries, including Belize, Sierra Leone, Indonesia, Kosovo and Timor-Leste.

Mankhwala previously served as Head of Procurement and Supply Chain Management at the Malawi Revenue Authority, where he rose through the ranks from Procurement Assistant to Head of Division.

According to PPDA, his appointment comes as Malawi continues implementing the Malawi National Electronic Procurement System (MANePS), which seeks to digitise public procurement processes and improve the management of public resources.

Mankhwala holds a Master of Laws in Public Procurement Law and Policy, obtained from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom (UK).

He also holds a Master of Science in Supply Chain Management from the University of Bolton in the UK and a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy and Finance from the University of Malawi, The Polytechnic.