President Peter Mutharika has delegated Second Vice-President Enoch Chihana to represent him at a high-level Southern African Development Community (Sadc) summit today.
This is the second time in a week that Chihana has been handed a regional assignment.
Office of the Second Vice-President principal press officer, Dave Gadama confirmed yesterday that Chihana will represent Malawi at the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government.
“Yes, I can confirm,” he said in a brief interview yesterday.
According to a statement from the Sadc Secretariat, the virtual summit will be chaired by South African President and incumbent Sadc chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa.
During the meeting, leaders are expected to deliberate on the political and security situation in Madagascar, guided by recommendations from the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.
The latest assignment comes days after Chihana chaired the Extraordinary Sadc Troika Summit in Lilongwe on June 22 on behalf of Mutharika, who is on a private visit to South Africa.
The meeting a high-level goodwill mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo and reaffirmed support for Madagascar’s transition towards elections.
Chihana’s back-to-back regional assignments mark a departure from earlier practice whereby Mutharika had been preferring to delegate Cabinet ministers instead of either First Vice-President Jane Ansah or Secind Vice-President.
Previously, the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) said assigning Vice-Presidents to such engagements was more costly than sending Cabinet ministers.
OPC director of communications Focus Maganga earlier told The Nation that the President will continue exercising his constitutional discretion in delegating responsibilities as he deems fit and that this should not be misconstrued as an indication of “tension”.
Said Maganga: “The Vice-Presidency is, by its nature, a delegated office. From time to time, the President may, at his discretion, reassign or adjust responsibilities to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
“Such administrative adjustments should not be misconstrued as signs of discord. They are a normal part of governance aimed at ensuring tangible and measurable progress during their five-year mandate.”
