President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has today appointed his fist full cabinet completing the first three-member cohort he appointed few days after his inauguration on June 24 this year.
According to a press release that the Chief Secretary to the Government, Zanga-zanga Chikhosi, released on 8 July 2020, the new cabinet has Honourable Robin Lowe, MP as a Minister of Agriculture. He is deputized by Honourable Agnes Nkusa Nkhoma, MP Honourable Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, MP as Minister responsible for Health and Population and he is deputized by Honourable Chrissie Kamanga Kalamula Kanyasho, MP and Honourable Titus Mvalo as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, who has taken over from Honourable Mordecai Msisha, SC, who turned the appointment down just a day after the first three cabinet member release.
The cabinet has also roped in Honourable Agnes Nyalonje as Minister of Education with Honourable Madalitso Mbirima Kambauwa, MP as her deputy, Honourable Sidik Mia as Minister of Transport and Public Works with Honourable Nancy Chaola Mdooko, MP as his deputy, Honourable Dr Michael Bizwick Usi as Minister of Tourism, Culture and Wildlife and Honourable Eisenhower Nduwa Mkaka M.P. as Minister responsible for Foreign Affairs.
Honourable Patricia Anne Kaliati has been alloted to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare, as Honourable Lingson Berekanyama, MP will be responsible for the Ministry of Local Government as his deputy will be Honourable Halima Alima Daud, MP
The new cabinet has split the formerly known as Ministry of Information and Civic Education into just Ministry of Information and Ministry of Civic Education and Nation Unity and they are manned by a long time broadcaster, who is also the Managing Director of privately owned media house, Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Honourable Gospel Kazako, and the most powerful civil society activist turned politician, Honourable Timothy Pagonachi Mtambo, respectively.
President Chakwera has also demanded Honourable Kenny Edward Kandondo, MP to be responsible for the Ministry of Labour, with Honourable Vera Kamtukule as his deputy; as Honourable Newton Kambala takes care of Ministry of Energy; Honourable Kezzie Kasambala Msukwa, MP heads the Ministry of Lands, as wife to Honourable Sidik Mia, Honourable Abida Sidik Mia deputizes.
Honourable Sosten Alfred Gwengwe, MP is asked to lead the Ministry of Trade, Honourable Nancy Tembo, MP is responsible for the Ministry of Forestry Natural Resources, Honourable Ulemu Msungama, MP as Minister of Youth and Sports, Honourable Roy Akajuwe Kachale-Banda, son to former Head of State, Dr Joyce Banda, as Minister of Industry. The cabinet has also taken onboard Honourable Rashid Abdul Gaffar as Minister of Mining, Honourable Jean Muonaowauza Sendeza as Deputy Minister of Defense.
Besides the ministerial appointments, the new Malawi leader has also appointed Dr Wilson T. Banda as Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Mr John Bizwick as Commissioner General for Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), with Mr Henry Ngutwa and Mrs Agnes Katsonga Phiri, as his deputies responsible for revenue and administration, respectively and Mr Dokani Ngwira as Director General for National Intelligence Bureau.
Dr Chakwera, firstly, appointed his Vice, Right Honourable Dr Saulos Claus Chilima as Minister of Economic Development and Civil Service Sector Reforms, Honourable Felix Mlusu as Minister of Finance, Honourable Richard Chimwendo Banda as Minister of Homeland Security and Honourable Mordecai Msisha, SC as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, but he later turned it down on personal grounds.
Apparently, the 29 member cabinet has roped in two members from same families; Honourable Sidik Mia, who is the Vice President of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and his wife Honourable Abida Sidik Mia, Honourable Kenny Kandondo and Honourable Khumbize Kandodo Chipomda, raising a suspicion that the President is thanking the Mias’ family for financial and material support it might have rendered the party in the run up to both tripartite elections in 2019 and the fresh presidential polls on June 23, this year and the Kandodo’ family for being direct nephews of the leader of MCP, Dr Kamuzu Banda.