By Vincent Gunde

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Lazarus Chakwera has been lauded for for appointing more women into his cabinet saying this is complying with section 11[1] of the Gender Equality Act.

Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has therefore welcomed the appointment of the new cabinet of 12 women and 18 men, 40 percent women and 60 percent men.

Chakwera has promoted Abida Mia into full ministry of Water and Sanitation.

In its statement signed by the Commission’s chairperson Scader Louis, the Commission congratulated Chakwera for meeting the gender quota of not less than 40 percent and not more than 60 percent of either sex in such appointments saying out of 12 women, 6 are holding the position of Minister.

Commission however sadly observes that there is youth and Persons with disabilities exclusion in the cabinet despite government’s commitment to inclusion in the National Youth Policy of the National Policy on Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.

“The Commission’s hope that Government will ensure that as a country we give prominence to substantive equality as espoused by our domestic, international and regional legal frameworks of which Malawi is party to including Sustainable Development Goal number 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls,” reads the Commission’s statement in part.

Meanwhile, social media commentators have however reminded Chakwera of his words made on 8^th November, 2018 that former Peter Mutharika’s cabinet was shameful disgrace and an unprecedented insult to all Malawians, saying he did not appoint people on merit saying time for abusing Malawians was over.

However, opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) described the new cabinet as missed opportunity to appoint a cabinet that will assist him to begin to address the nose diving economy to recover for the benefit of suffering Malawians.

In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary,Shadreck Namalomba observed that Malawians expected Chakwera to reshuffle the cabinet and drop all ministers embroiled in corruption and incompetence.

“We, in the DPP are very pessimistic of the new cabinet we fear for Malawians, with this new cabinet, we see not any light to ending the economic sufferings besieging Malawians,” reads the DPP statement in part.