Malawi president reshuffles cabinet
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has reshuffled his cabinet
The cabinet has been reviewed from 30 to 27 meaning 1 minister and 2 deputies have been removed.
In the reviewed cabinet the president has removed ministry of Peace and unity as standalone and merged it with ministry of local government.
18 people including Sosten Gwengwe as minister of finance, Nancy Tembo foreign affairs Khumbize Kandodo Chipondo minister of health and Abida Mia water and sanitation have been maintained as full ministers.
However some ministers and their deputies such as Eisenihower Mkaka, Timothy Mtambo, Patricia Kaliati, Mark Katsonga phiri, Gospel Kazako, and Blessings Chinsinga are missing in the new cabinet.
The president has brought in new faces in the cabinet including Simplex Chithyola as minister of trade and industry, Uchizi Mkandawire as minister for youth and sports, Ken Zikhale Ng’oma as minister of Homeland security.
11 women have been appointed in the new cabinet with 8 as full ministers and 3 deputies representing 40%.
Madalitso Kambuwa Wilima who was booted out of the ministry of Agriculture in the former cabinet together with Lobin Lowe has been appointed as minister of education.
On 31st December last year during his New Year speech, the president promised to reshuffle his cabinet by 31st of January this year.
Meanwhile governance and human rights expert Undule Mwakasungula while applauding the president for upholding his promise of reshuffling the cabinet has faulted him for failing to implement the promised lean cabinet considering economic hurdles that the country is going through.
Mwakasungula however said merging of ministry of local government with unity and culture is a misplaced option as the former has huge responsibilities already hence an additional load will bring confusion and retrogression in its operations.
He questioned the exclusion of other people that were in the former cabinet such as Patricia Kaliati who was viewed to be among the best performing ministers in Tonse Alliance government.
