5 month probation for ministers unrealistic, says opposition leader

Leader of Opposition in parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa has described as unrealistic President Lazarus Chakwera’s decision to give all Cabinet ministers a five-month probation period on their job.

Nankhumwa: There will be chaos

Nankhumwa said five months was too short period for Cabinet ministers to prove themselves whether they are up for the job or not.

“Give them more time. A Cabinet ministerial job is not as easy as people might think. With this deadline, the ministers will be working to impress the President so that they are not fired instead of working for the people, as a result there will be chaos,” said Nankhumwa.

He suggested one year would be ideal to make assessments on each Cabinet minister.

“As of now, they are working under panic to prove themselves that they are up for the job as a result they can mess it up,” he said.

The 31 ministerial posts has been met with accusations of  favouritism and nepotism.

Among the appointments that appear to have rattled the public are the new deputy minister for lands, Abida Mia, who is married to the vice-president of the president’s party, Sidik Mia, who is now also the transport minister; the new minister of industry, Roy Kachale, who is the son of former president Joyce Banda; and the new ministers of health and labour, Khumbize Chiponda and Ken Kandodo Banda, who are siblings and are related to Malawi’s founding president, Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

Critics have also noted various conflicts of interest: the new minister of mining Rashid Gaffer comes from a family that owns mines; the new minister of information  Goseple Kazako owns a major broadcasting network Zodiak  and his  sister-in-law is the new deputy agriculture ministe.

United Democratic Front (UDF) spokesperson Ken Ndanga said it does not matter whether Chakwera has appointed the Mia family or the Kandodo family into the cabinet, saying what is important is the individual performance.

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Namulika
Namulika
4 years ago

Wagwa nayo Kondwani alibe chonena cheni cheni . Those ministers who are not going to perform will meet an ax. We know Kondwani so much so better stop talking too much.

God Knows
God Knows
4 years ago

Five months probation is unrealistic? You are pathetic…!! That’s why the whole dpp including your agogo were sleeping on the job!!! You are nfundoless, so shut the fuck up!!!

Chisale
Chisale
4 years ago

In most institutions the probation period is 90 days ( 3 months) A DPP/UDF is used to mediocrity, this is another day it’s a New Malawi

Lozani
Lozani
4 years ago

That’s not the job of opposition. That inter-party interference

Fake Petros
Fake Petros
4 years ago
Reply to  Lozani

If all lhomwes were as thoughtful and realistic as Nankhumwa the country would not have rejected DPP en masse. Koma kunalinso a Mpinganjira ku MTL nthawi ya Muluzi, the rest is history.

In fact to prove that Malawians (notwithstanding tribal fanatics) are fair and objective voters. Bingu in 1999 had won almost countrywide support. In the North, in Ntchisi all MPs were DPP. Why? Good policies, tangible developments, owoneka ndi maso.
Koma awa apitawa, a Peter awa, ndiye ayi, mbola yeniyeni. Ati koma a lhomwe ndiye azikhala ma mbwana just to be looting, ay bodza

Mdala
Mdala
4 years ago

In our situation we need a fast, efficient, visionary and pragmatic approach of course within the law, to cushion the economic and social hardship we are living in! Mr Nankhumwa times of DPP slumber is gone! The deliberate delaing tactics for the sake of creating income through corruption or using high offices for selfish gains, are gone! A modern profile of a minister must be very efficient, with fast positive results! Failure or missuse of office can’t be tolerated at all! If this can’t be achieved the president have to find immediately a more competent one! Waiting for 5 months… Read more »

Gawanizanuzokha Mc. Ben
Gawanizanuzokha Mc. Ben
4 years ago

How far did this guy go with education? Performance can be rated even i a week, but him is talking of the whole 6 months. Mr Nankhumwa. you simply do not understand these things.

jade
jade
4 years ago

Nde mu okalatu

Kwenga mwazembo
Kwenga mwazembo
4 years ago

Five months is too much months already. Probation is 3 months basi . And for your information minister yekha can’t guarantee change things for the better ngati ma workers under him akuvutika sangapange deliver Boma is big business . You can give them even 10 years komangati anthu amene amagwila ntchito akufinyika ndi zero pa ten

Mwambalanganya
4 years ago

Bwana imeneyo si nkani. 5 probation akayamba kudeweza kumakhalanso reshuffle. Thats none of your business. The appointee can look into that. Nankumwa just mind your business just scrutinise the bills in the parliament osati zimene ukunena apa.

Mbudye
Mbudye
4 years ago

In the civil service, civil servants are given six months probationary period. A ministry can function easily without a minister – implying that a minister’s job is not as complicated as Nankhumwa would have us believe. That the just-dethroned DPP govt appointed such uneducated, ignorant dunderheads as Mchacha and Jeffrey to be ministers speaks volumes about the nature of ministerial jobs. Any Jack and Jill can be a cabinet minister – it just needs a person with abundant commonsense. Some have argued that there are certain ministries that require a technocrat to be Minister of Finance. Gordon Brown was a… Read more »

Ndata Boy
4 years ago

that is because DPP used to steal, so 5 months you can not steal much at least one year kkkkkk
no wonder they were so relaxed and passive. tell Nankhumwa that in this gvt we are working hard, working hard and working hard

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