President Lazarus Chakwera has started the New Year 2025 by reconfiguring his Cabinet to bring renewed energy, but retained the bulk of the core team.
The Cabinet, which now has 31 members from 27 in the previous one appointed on January 31 2023, has seven deputy ministers from four and split Ministry of Education into two—Higher Education and Basic and Secondary Education.
In the changes announced by the Office of the President and Cabinet after the President’s televised New Year Address, former minister of Defence Harry Mkandawire and Ntcheu Bwanje North legislator Nancy Chaola Mdooko (UTM Party), who served as Deputy Minister of Education, are the only casualties.
Minister of Mining Monica Chang’anamuno has replaced Mkandawire.
Prior to the release of the new Cabinet list, the President said the changes followed deep reflection over the past few weeks to bring renewed energy, focus, efficiency and speed to government service delivery.
Said Chakwera: “With this team, we will work harder than ever to make your lives better this year and beyond. But as always, for that to happen, I will be counting on your support.”
Newcomers in the Cabinet include Lilongwe East member of Parliament (MP) Ezekiel Ching’oma (Malawi Congress Party-MCP), who has replaced Ken Zikhale Ng’oma at Homeland Security. Ng’oma has moved to Mining.
The other new face is MCP spokesperson Jessie Kabwira who is heading the newly-created Ministry of Higher Education while then incumbent Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima is now Minister of Basic and Secondary Education.
The President has also promoted Deputy Mi n i s ter of Local Government, Unity and Culture Owen Chomanika to Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, taking up the portfolio previously held by Vice-President Michael Usi who is now Minister of State for Public Service Delivery—a role that injects presidential level influence in overseeing performance in ministries, departments and agencies.
In the changes, the President has created deputy minister portfolios at Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Transport and Public Works and Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare.
Mwanza West MP Joyce Chitsulo, who fell out with Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has been appointed Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture while Mangochi North MP Benedicto Kaluwa-AdweII Chambo (DPP) is Deputy Minister of Agriculture.
Lilongwe South MP Peter Dimba is Deputy Minister of Transport and Public Works while Patricia Nangozo-Kainga, a former Zomba Central legislator, is Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Halima Daud has moved from Health to Deputy at Gender. Nkhata Bay South East MP Noah Chimpeni (People’s Party-PP) has replaced Daud at Health.
In his address, the President also outlined what he called three big losses of 2024; namely, the death of Vice-President Saulos Klaus Chilima and eight others in a military plane crash on June 10, loss of close to half of food crops due to El-Nino weather and loss of life and property caused by excessive rain and thunder in December.
On the other hand, he mentioned progress on roads, K200 million for Constituency Development Fund and mobilisation of K300 billion in off-budget support to procure emergency food for 5.7 million Malawians as some of the gains.
Reacting to the speech, political pundit Wonderful Mkhutche said people should not expect miracles with the changes made to the Cabinet, saying it was political.
In a separate interview, governance pundit George Chaima said splitting the Ministry of Education was costly, as it now means government will be paying two ministers and several principal secretaries.
On his part, Centre for Social Transparency and Accountability executive director Willy Kambwandira said while the President’s speech was full of hope, it struggled to live up to the expectations of Malawians.
RETAINED MINISTERS
Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Simplex Chithyola Banda
Minister of Trade and Industry Sosten Gwengwe
Minister of Agriculture Samuel Kawale
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo
Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda
Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture Richard Chimwendo Banda
Minister of Justice Titus Mvalo
Minister of Gender Jean Sendeza
Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule
Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Sidik Mia
Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola
Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu
Minister of Transport and Public Works Jacob Hara
Minister of Lands Deus Gumba
Minister of Youth and Sport Uchizi Mkandawire
Minister of Labour Engineer Vitumbiko Zasamula Mumba
