Will the brutal watchdog of public funds return to the helm of PAC
FRESH off the general election victory, will Bwana Mkubwa Member of Parliament-elect, Warren Mwambazi return to his role as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairperson where he has earned himself a reputation of barbecuing civil servants who fail to account for the resources under their watch ? Well time will tell.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Zambia is a group of Members of Parliament that acts as the nation’s financial watchdog.
Their main job is to ensure that government ministries, departments, and public officials spend taxpayers’ money honestly, legally, and wisely as authorized by Parliament.
To do this, the committee reviews official audit reports mainly from the Auditor-General, summons top government officials to publicly question them about missing funds or wasteful spending, and issues official recommendations to hold wrongdoers accountable and prevent financial misuse in the future.
Utilising PAC’s constitutional mandate, Mwambazi, a qualified lawyer and chartered accountant brought a fearsome reputational footprint into the halls of power.
Some people who encountered the committee came as bold as lions but left like wet cats as Mwambazi took down what they thought were defences leaving them stammering like Moses in old testament, failing to count from one to 10.
Born in December 1978, Mwambazi possesses a rare combination of legal expertise and forensic accounting prowess.
A former Auditor General investigator turned lawmaker, Mwambazi’s first term fundamentally reshaped how Zambians view public financial accountability.
Mwambazi’s fierce quizzing of public servants over resources and expenditure started in 2021, just as he entered the the National Assembly as an independent MP for Bwana Mkubwa Constituency.
One of the cases that stood out for a lot of netizens and the general citizenry while executing his duties was when the Ministry of Agriculture presented suspicious evasive explanations for over US$108 million in unprocured fertilizer and seed contracts.
Mwambazi did not merely scold the delegation, he dismissed them ordering them out of the chamber.
“My team and I will continue working tirelessly in order to ensure that we recover and properly allocate public resources to the intended purpose and to the people of Zambia,” Mwambazi said following the encounter with the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Bwana Mkubwa MP believes bad procurement practices are a threat to economic development and encourages procurement practitioners in the country to execute their mandates diligently in accordance with the stipulated laws and guidelines.
His aggressive questioning style won praise from civil society advocates and regional parliamentary bodies alike, earning him two consecutive terms leading the Southern African Development Community Organisation of Public Accounts Committees (SADCOPAC).
As the legislative dust settles following the August 2026 General Elections, a heavy cloud of anticipation hangs over parliament.
Mwambazi’s mandate from the people of Bwana Mkubwa is clear by reelecting him, this time under the ruling UPND.
But as parliamentary committees reconstitute themselves for the new term, one crucial question runs in this writers mind.
Will the National Assembly restore Warren Mwambazi to his seat at the helm of the Public Accounts Committee table?
Kalemba September 4, 2026