By: Lloyd M’bwana
The cabinet assessment that analyses the seating head of state and his minister performance in which the country’s giant media print, Times Group publishes annually shows that the executive arm of government failed to meet Malawians expectations in 2015 as the nation’s economy
worsens day by day.
This is stunning reality which the current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government needs to critically analysis the report while putting its house in order to sustain the trust of 34 percent of Malawians upon winning the 2014 tripartite elections.
The cabinet assessment looks at each and every minister including the president individually on what they have achieved and failed to attain upon assuming the office particularly policies direction coupled with action because they are political heads of their various ministries.
The assessment gives scores to each cabinet minister on how they performed in their positions which are put five categories including 1-2 (Do us favour, resign), 2-3 (Pull up your socks, please), 5-6 (Ok, but you can do better), 7-8 (You are a star) and 9-10 (Excellent, you deserve another term).
Through the cabinet assessment 2016 supplement headlined, “struggling cabinet, wobbling economy” published in The Sunday Times of February 28, 2016 which The Maravi Post is in possession, finds that all major economic indicators demonstrate that President Mutharika and his cabinet are failing to restore macro-economic fundamentals.
Eventually, the nation is witnessing food scarcity, the high interest rates, inflation and skyrocketing prices of goods and services which have all inflicted miseries on the people’s lives.
The report has further faulted the executive arm of government of not going well in consolidating democracy and constitutionalism particularly on its tricks on legislation such as Access to Information (ATI) and Sodomy (Homosexuals) which remain a worrisome to
the people of Malawi.
Not only that the assessment goes far finding out that while some ministers are doing recommendable work others are just passengers and onlookers who either need to jerk up by being on the driving seats of their ministries failing which they need to be fired in the next cabinet reshuffle.
“With our first obligation being to tell the truth, and our first loyalty being to the people, we have once again kept our pledge of assessing the performance of the State President and his cabinet. In our assessment we do not consider routine ministerial assignments like going on foreign trips, opening, attending and closing workshops as achievement. While we consider policy formulation a move in the right direction, we regard implementation of policies and programs as landmarks achievements.
“We have a struggling cabinet struggling to manage a struggling economy. As has been the case in the past, our assessment may please some members of the cabinet on other hand irritates others. We can only advice t cabinet ministers and all the stakeholders to focus their attention in addressing the outlined challenges instead of making noise about grades. It’s only by addressing the challenges that the country can make strides in its development endeavors”, appeals The Sunday Times editor, Brian Ligomeka.
General Assessment
President Peter Mutharika got 5 out of 10 for failing to rejuvenate the ailing economy due to poor economic management, monkey tricks on ATI bill, bloated delegation which accompany him to foreign trips, flip-flopping on Malawi Saving Banks sale as portrayed his as an indecisive leader. But Mutharika has been recommended for ensuring that foreign exchange reserves cover hover around three months. He also maintains the lean cabinet and trimmed the number of principal secretaries which has saved millions of tax-payers’ money not only establishment of community colleges, construction of roads networks and basic social infrastructure are worthy recommending.
Saulos Chilima, The Vice President is responsible for three departments namely Public Service Reforms Commission (PSRC), National Public Events (NPE) and Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA). According to assessment, out of 17 cabinet members, Chilima scored 8 out of 10 (the star performer) leading vividly for the ongoing public reforms program, flood response through political will and constant monitoring of progress and communication to the public. While his main shortfall was the decision for Immigration department for raising passport fees which most Malawians cannot afford.
Joseph Mwanamveka, Minister of Trade and Industry, got 7 out 10 for guiding some of its department and parastatal institution in achieving their goals including Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (MITC) for holding of the first ever Malawi Investment Forum (MIF) which was held in June 2015 eventually Malawi got several international and lucrative investment commitments in energy, manufacturing, agriculture and mining sector. Mwanamveka is also commended for leading together Malawi’s neighboring countries in the implementation of a National Single Window and One Stop Post which started rolling out in Mchinji-Mwami and Songwe-Kasumulu. His failure includes unfriendly and unfavorable trade policies to control substandard products and services just flourished the local markets among others.
Patricia Kaliati, Minister of Gender, Children Disability and Social Welfare, scooped 6 out of 10 for proving aggressive in challenging patriarchal notions that subject women and girls to various kinds of abuse and managed to confront men and women against spousal abuse no wonder Kaliati won an award of excellence for her involvement in the acceleration of gender protocols in Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Kaliati however is failing to show prowess in taking care of the welfare of person with physical disabilities.
Average performers
Henry Mussa, Minister of Labor, Youth and manpower development scored 5 out 10 for showing hopeless on challenges of child labor in Malawi and also failure to come clearly on the issue of Temporary Bureau of Africa (Teba) as ex-workers have spent 26 years pushing government for the payments of their dues after working in South African mines. Mussa however did well on establishment of community colleges, site visits to industrial companies and ground work on readiness to set up pension fund for civil servants.
Jean Kalirani, Minister of Home Affairs, got 5 out of 10 for helping to reduce armed robberies which were slowly becoming an order of the day, speedy implementation of National Identity legislation and also announcement of new visa regime that all foreign nationals whose countries require Malawians to pay visa to get into their countries will also start paying visa to enter Malawi. Kalirani however is failing to deal with rampant corruption involving men in uniform and immigration department, slow update on death of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director of Corporate Affairs Issa Njauju and poor porous of the country’s borders which foreigners still taking advantage of by entering Malawi.
Atupele Muluzi, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, attained 5 out of 10 for standing feats in the area of urban, housing, home ownership scheme and estate management, finalized and agreed on the work plan on lake boundary re-affirmation with Mozambique and identified satellite imagery to be used and drafting of the National Urban Policy.
Peter Kumpalume, Minister of Health scored 5 out 10 for failing to control drug theft and syndicate of smuggling prescription drugs including ARVs to South Africa, banning of health workers to speak to the media on challenges facing various public health facilities. Kumpalume is commended for responding quickly on public health drugs theft by installing CCTV camera in its pharmacies, managing to prevent further transmission of HIV from mother to child among others.
Francis Kasaila, Minister of Transport and Public works, got 5 out of 10 for managing to plan properly activities, revise and develop National Transport and national construction policies, upgrading Malawi Traffic Information System (Maltis) among others but he is challenged with lack of funding as most road projects are stalling and lack of adequate and skilled personnel due to lengthy recruitment procedures and unattractive remuneration compared to the private sector.
Below average performers
Allan Chiyembekeza, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development scooped 4 out of 10 for failing to ensure that three sectors function towards addressing food shortage and revising agriculture sector which is a backbone of the country’s economy whose only positive side is familiarization with policies.
Emmanuel Fabiano, Minister of Education, Science and Technology got 4 out of 10 for fees increase in public secondary and tertiary education and Maneb without considering the ailing economy, abolition of Junior Certificate Education (JCE) without thorough consultation which received massive protest from the public, failure to recruit cohort of 19, 400 teachers under Open Distance Learning (ODL) and Initial Primary Teacher while his strength was construction of school blocks through Local Development Funds (LDF).
Kondwani Nankhumwa, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development scooped 4 out of 10 for failing to fulfill the motor cycle loans to councilors for almost two years, being challenged by district commissioners upon decision to remove them from their positions who sought court injunction against the ministry. Nankhumwa has done better on securing government approval of establishment warrants for all the district councils and implementation expected to commerce in the six pilot districts.
Samuel Tembenu, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, scored 3 out of 10, for changing of heart on ATI and Land Bill after showing commitment in the last seating of Parliament in December, 2015, slow pursuing of getting justice of the assailants to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director of Corporate Affairs Issa Njauju, failure to show policy direction on homosexuality with only positive progress on cash-gate cases as about 10 convictions have been registered though not seem to have done enough to ensure justice is not selective.
Grace Chiumia, Minister of Sports and Culture, got 3 out of 10 for failing to inspire the sports sector as future looks gloomy, unable to attract more corporate support through introduction of deliberate policies which might encourage more companies to invest in sports, poor infrastructure development and only little on drafting of cultural policy.
Goodall Gondwe, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development scooped 3 out of 10 for failing to put the country ailing economy on truck coupled with high inflations rates, over blowing and spending, further depreciation of the Malawi Kwacha, unable to come up with monetary policies to ignite business ventures for the private sector, unable to mobilize enough fund for sealing hunger situation among others.
Jappie Mhango, Minister of Information and Civic Education, scored 3 out of 10 for failing to provide the much-needed direction in the media issues, access to public information and information technology, unable to free Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) from being used as a political tool by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) loyalists, unable to switch off completely from analogue to digital broadcast, failure to perform a proper mediatory role on the wrangle between Mota Engile and some Mangochi residents eventually MK20 billion tourism site project was abandoned. But one notable work done for Mhango is an improvement in Malawi Postal Corporation services with quick and quality services.
Worst Performers need to be fired
Bright Msaka, Minister of Energy, Natural Resources and Mining, the worst performer with 2 out of 10 for failing to meet people’s expectation with low action on the ground, unable to enact the revised National Energy Policy, unable control massive plundering forests reserves, no visible public reforms, unable to clear the mist-stalemate between Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) and Independent Power Producers (IPPs), ignoring the suffering of Kanyika resident in Karonga with poverty by allowing Global Metals mining’s delays in rolling out mining project and siding with Malawi Defense Force solders after reports were riffle that the men in uniform killed some residents around Dzalanyama Forests upon hired to
guide the reserve.
George Chaponda, Minister of Foreign Affairs, another worst performer who scooped 2 out 10 for failing to seriously address the Lake Malawi with Tanzania which has strained bilateral relations between the two countries, not done much on facilitation and coordination role with other departments especially in foreign investments and promotion of the tourism sector, unreasonable spending of MK295 million to a UK PR firm which is said to be promoting Malawi’s tourism abroad and unable to control Chinese nationals who were caught externalizing Forex , wood and other valuable items but the Chaponda and his team fail to make a bold step on these people. Chaponda is however commended for maintaining the bilateral relations with key partners including Scotland which now 150 years and peace keeping mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Times Group is the oldest Malawi’s publishing company owned by the father and founder of the nation, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda family which publishes The Daily Times, Malawi News and The Sunday Times and other subsidiaries including Times Television, Radio and Currier, and Dzuka Book Publication.
