Chakwera’s balancing act

President Lazarus Chakwera on Thursday finished reconstituting his new Cabinet by appointing the last cohort of 18 individuals to complete a 32-member troop amid diverse reactions from the public.

The President on Tuesday announced an initial list of 12 members with two new faces after dissolving his inaugural 31-member Cabinet that served him for 17 months.

The new appointments have seen Chakwera firing five ministers and one deputy while drafting in four ministers as well as five deputies. Out of the nine fresh brains in the Cabinet seven are members of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

The casualties are Felix Mlusu, who was Minister of Finance, Ulemu Msungama (Youth and Sports), Roy Kachale, son to former president Joyce Banda (Industry), Kezzie Msukwa (Lands) and business tycoon Rashid Gaffar (Mining). The President has also fired Chrissie Kalamula Kanyasho who was deputy minister of Health.

Chakwera has brought into his cabinet People’s Progressive Movement leader and Neno South legislator Mark Katsonga Phiri who is the new Minister of Trade and Industry, a combination of two portfolios which were previously separate entities.

The President has also entrusted Dowa North East (MCP) legislator Sam Kawale to head the Ministry of Lands, replacing the Chitipa East (MCP) MP Msukwa who the President said he had fired over his alleged connection to a corruption case.

Other newcomers are MCP treasurer general and Ntcheu Central Parliamentarian Albert Mbawala who will head the Mining ministry and People’s Party secretary general Ibrahim Matola who goes to the Energy ministry.

The new deputy ministers include seasoned politician Harry Mkandawire (MCP vice-president for the North, who has gone to Defence, Mchinji South West MP (MCP) Deus Gumba will deputise Kawale at Lands while Enock Phale (MCP MP for Salima North West) is the new deputy minister of Health.

After some years, Blantyre City East legislator (MCP) John Bande has bounced back in Cabinet as deputy minister of Water and Sanitation while little known Monica Chang’anamuno has been assigned to deputise Agness Nyalonje at the Education ministry.

Chakwera has also rearranged some ministries dropping his vice Saulos Chilima as Minister of Economic Planning, a portfolio that has now been combined with Finance and will be headed by Sosten Gwengwe.

However, Chilima will remain responsible for Public Sector Reforms, just like the President who remains Minister of Defence.

The President has also created a new ministry responsible for water and sanitation to be headed by Abida Mia while Timothy Mtambo’s powers have been reduced after removing civic education and his ministry will now be called National Unity.

Chakwera has maintained Lobin Lowe as minister of Agriculture, Michael Usi (Tourism, Culture and Wildlife), NyaLonje (Education), Titus Mvalo (Justice), Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda (Health), Blessings Chinsinga (Local Government) and Jacob Hara for Transport and Public Works.

The President has also swapped roles of Nancy Tembo and Eisenhower Mkaka in what is seen as a demotion for the latter. Tembo was Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change but will now head the Foreign Affairs portfolio while Mkaka goes to Natural Resources and Climate Change.

Jean Sendeza, who was deputy minister of defence has moved up the ladder to become Homeland Security minister replacing Richard Chimwendo Banda who is now Minister of Youth and Sports which is another demotion.

Gospel Kazako has been maintained as government spokesperson and Minister of Information which now is called Information and Digitisation just like Patricia Kaliati who has also been retained at her ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare.

Vera Kamtukule has also been promoted from deputy minister of labour and will now head the ministry which has been without a full minister since Chakwera fired Ken Kandodo while Nancy Chaola Mdooko remains deputy minister of Transport and Public Works with Madalitso Kambauwa deputizing Lowe at Agriculture.

Another deputy minister that has been maintained is Halima Alima Daud (Local Government) while Agnes Nkusa Nkhoma is the new deputy at the ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare.

While the President has been commended for including more women in his new Cabinet, some analysts have faulted him over his failure to trim the size and instead bloating it to 32, bigger than his maiden team of 31 members.

South African-based political scientist Michael Jana observed the Cabinet did not reflect what the President announced.

“It was called dissolution of Cabinet and to me when you dissolve the Cabinet, it means there are deep issues and you really need to overhaul but the end result is not an overhaul but a reshuffle.

“The President should have just come out clear to say he would like to reshuffle the Cabinet and not to dissolve. But having said that there are also positives in that some people were not comfortable with some people like that of Lands who is no longer in Cabinet.

“Also the inclusion of new faces needs to be acknowledged, I assume those who are not included were not performing to the satisfaction so we can only hope that the new faces that have been roped in will change things,” said Jana, a political studies lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand.

On the lean Cabinet, Jana said Chakwera failed to address the issue but pointed out it was actually a direct result of a government formed through an alliance and was expected.

Although Chakwera has not dismissed Mkaka and Chikhosi as the Public Affairs Committee had requested, the organisation’s spokesperson Bishop Gilford Matonga said they were happy with the new team because it has addressed several issues such as the gender aspect.

He, however, advised the ministers that have been retained as well as newly appointed to work diligently and address people’s concerns which they presented to him.

Said Matonga: “This [Cabinet] is a very welcome development. We had mentioned about the changes in key ministries like that of Finance as you may recall, we have had many economic challenges. In that regard, we hope the new ministers will live up to the expectations of Malawians.”

On his part, human rights and governance expert Undule Mwakasungula applauded the President for appointing several women into the Cabinet, saying it was a big plus and a good indication of his wish to promote women in national positions.

Mwakasungula also applauded Chakwera for combining the ministries of Finance and Economic Planning (now called Finance and Economic Affairs), saying the delinking from the previous holder will give more opportunity to the new minister and the ministry to revive the country’s economy.

“The new minister will have big task of reviving the economy with more sound people centered strategies and I believe with the support of all other stakeholders it will be possible,” he said.

While Chakwera has been applauded for appointing more women into the Cabinet, the 12 women (37 percent) and 20 men (63 percent), including Chakwera and Chilima, fall short of the Gender Equality Act 2013, which demands a 60-40 percent ratio of women and men.

However, since Chakwera and Chilima are in the Cabinet by their election, the President has complied with Section 11(1) of the Act because the 12 women represent 40 percent.

Commenting on the issue, chairperson of Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of Parliament, Joyce Chitsulo, applauded Chakwera for achieving the 40 percent.

“As PAC, we are excited that the President has considered and respected the Gender Act in these appointments. We also commend him for appointing a good number of women in key ministries such as Homeland Security, Water and Sanitation and Foreign Affairs.

“This shows that, as women, our efforts and skills are being recognised and the President has confidence,” said Chitsulo, who is also chairperson of Parliamentary Monitoring Committee.

Chakwera took over government riding at the back of Tonse Alliance, a coalition of nine political parties that include MCP, UTM, PP, PPM, Alliance for Democracy (Aford), Malawi Forum for Unity and Development (Mafunde), Umodzi Party (UP), People’s Transformation Party (Petra) and Freedom Party (FP).

But commenting on the appointments, Aford president Enock Chihana said it would be premature to start judging the appointees.

He said: “We have to wait until they start working; we should not start judging individuals because everybody has got his or her own weaknesses and strengths. I know some ministers I have worked with really work extremely hard and they are going to help this country so let’s wait until they are on the job and wish them the best.”

Chihana said he was not bitter that just like during his initial Cabinet appointment, Chakwera has never considered an Aford politician, saying “appointments are a prerogative of the President so I don’t think he has appointed those people based on party lines but he feels they are capable and will help him”.