Malawi cabinet picks under ‘battery of scrutiny’, says President Laz
Prime Lazarus Chakwera has said he has put to a“ battery of scrutiny” the picks of ministers in cabinet positions before naming his full government team after winning the presidential election last month.
Chakwera in a briefing released on Wednesday said the ministers he has picked together with vice-president Saulos Chilima would be a “well-balanced team” of high-performing servant leaders who will bring forth the fruits of their Tonse Alliance governance philosophy.
“I know you are anxious to hear an announcement of the new cabinet. In part, this is because I myself gave you the expectation to hear this announcement no later than my inauguration on July 6.
“But on second thought, Dr. Chilima and I decided to subject the list to another battery of scrutiny in order to be doubly sure that we are offering Malawians a well-balanced team of high-performing servant leaders who will bring forth the fruits of our Tonse Philosophy,” said Chakwera.
The Malawi leader has thanked Malawians for their patience with the “ rigorous process”, assuring that he will be announcing the cabinet “any day now.”
Chakwera said having promised to form a cabinet of no more than 30 members, of which no less than 12 are to be women, the number of qualified people under consideration exceeds the number of cabinet portfolios.
“For this reason, the task requires considerable thought and prayer on our part and will require understanding and trust on yours. What is certain is that we will still need the remarkable men and women who end up not getting a cabinet appointment this time around to be put to good use elsewhere in the service of Malawians.
“ This is because the work of draining the swamp, clearing the rubble, overhauling the rotten systems of the state, and building new systems cannot be the preserve of Cabinet Ministers alone,” he said.
Presidential aide Sean Kampondeni has since indicated that preparations for swearing-in of the appointed Cabinet Ministers are also being finalised.
The President had only named a partial cabinet in which vice-president Saulos Chilima, who was sworn-in alongside Chakwera was named as minister of economic planning and development, and public sector reforms.
Chilima played an important role in the re-run of the controversial “Tippex election”, coming together with Chakwera to form the opposition Tonse Alliance that ultimately unseated ex-president Peter Mutharika.
Felix Mlusu was named as Malawi’s finance minister. He was previously managing director of Nico Holdings Plc, a financial company with interests in Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Mozambique.
Chikosa Silungwe, another lawyer involved in the court case forcing the election re-run, was named as Malawi’s attorney general. Silungwe previously worked at Malawi’s Law Commission and has a doctorate in Law from the University of Warwick, UK.
Richard Chimwendo Banda was named as minister of homeland security.
Chakwera won the election re-run with almost 59 percent of the vote. The country’s constitutional court had ordered a re-run over “widespread irregularities”, including the use of correction fluid to tamper with tally sheets.
Malawi became only the second country in sub-Saharan Africa to have presidential poll results overturned in the courts, as Kenya did in 2017.
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Africa is in trouble.
Totally nosense, 31 people for what it doesn’t make any sense at all. Imagine all these people need expensive cars, their officers, their secretaries and all others, how much tax payers’ money will be worst. Where is the universal fertiliser which people were promised. Just a government full of greedy and power hungry people
We are giving Chakwera and Chilima achance bring the Ministers to the peope,if you two leaders wants Malawi to develop malawi will develop.After three months we will see how far your have performed.I will judge from that, don’t forget to take our money back from DPP leaders omwe adaba makobidi aboma please Chakwera and Chilima.If you don’t do that,you will never stop corruption coz there are more corrupt officials in government. I believe that Tonse alliance government will do better than DPP leaders and cadets did mbava zachabe chabe.Ngati Munthalika amadutsitsa 200,000 bags of cement osadula misonkho.
Polani moto, puma bwanji
I don’t think Tonse Alliance will do anything different from DPP government. Malawians need total revolution. All these called Tonse Alliance are the people who had been in Parliament the last 26 years ago. Nothing will change much.
Malawians need total revolution.
You have a problem.
Ma cadet we can see your comments. Your oblongata are full of chicken drops. Leave the two great men alone.Go baby sit your gogo wherever he is. We have had enough of your stinking style of government. Kuba basi
Mr President we have all the patience to wait FOR OUR TSOGOLO LATHU LOWALA CABINET. assure us that you will not be changing them like Police officers. But listen to us. please! please! Sir, this son in-law should be sent to the farm or looking after cattle somewhere, remember its ‘Tonse alliance’. nepotism, conflict of interest, etc. Dont be greedy. we trust you.
Malliki, can you match the qualities of Kampondeni and Mgeme Kalilani in speech writing? If the President has relations that are qualified for particular jobs, let them be offered such jobs, other than offering non-qualified relations. Kampondeni has so far shown the world that he is up to the task. His writing style equals Dr. Ken Lipenga,not nyansi zinali ku State House posachedwapazi.
Kkkkk komadi this is another class
First it was the appointment of Minister of Justice without consulting him first. His decline was a shaming response. Then came a switch over from universal fertilizer subsidy budget to targeted subsidy budget. Then came another switch over of inaugural ceremony from Bingu stadium to Kamuzu Barracks just hours before the time. Then this unfulfilled promise of appointing cabinet before the 6th of July. These things that may look insignificant to you are very significant tips of the iceberg.
Musamukire kaye ku Mozambique kodikira agogo anu. U cadet unakupwetekani.
Upresident wanji wochitira mnyumba mwawo, pakhomo pawo ndi pamtundu pawo? State matters should not personalised like assemblies of god used to be. IMO chakwera has personalised government and set the bar very low. Plus he already failed to keep his campaign promises on universal subsidy, on k100, 000 tax free band, on cabinet by 6 July. This guy has not worked in an office at all, no experience, no dexterity. Atupele is being vindicated
cry cry and cry very well
I like the way you have personalise it as well, Chakwera has done well to personalize the State affairs, because he will feel it when things go wrong, he will find himself together with his people in the same problem, that’s servant leadership, you must in together with your people! There must be that Chakwera and President! The presidency must be known to the President, in this case The President must include Chakwera in every thing he want to do.
Oh and it has been two weeks yet and this govt has gone back on their words, made u-turns, cabinet turn downs, broke their manifesto promise.. the list of embassements keeps rising. But at least I guess they get to get pictured like they are doing something, do workshops, visit offices, and make speeches as if those rhetorics are what will develop this country. What is your govt growth strategy? Are you going to maintain DPPs infrastructure led growth? How is those targeted fertilizer subsidies going to be operationalized? How are you going to create those 1 million jobs? We… Read more »