Peter cautions new ministers
President Peter Mutharika on Thursday warned nine of his newly hired Cabinet ministers that he will fire or prosecute any one of them found divulging classified information, without authorisation, on the social media or to the public.
Speaking during the swearing-in ceremony for nine new ministers at Mtunthama State Lodge in Lilongwe, Mutharika said his government will work hard to solve problems that have denied Malawi effective development 50 years after independence.
Said the President: “By taking the oath of office and oath of allegiance, you have vowed to take full care of the interests of the people of Malawi. You are, therefore, expected to keep the oaths and walk the talk.”
The nine join Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe hired two weeks ago as the President continues with his piecemeal assembly of his much-awaited lean Cabinet of about 20.
The appointees include Blantyre-based private practice lawyer Samuel Tembenu of the legal firm Tembenu, Masumbu & Company who lost his bid for the Salima Central Constituency seat in the May 20 Tripartite Elections. He is the new Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Mutharika has also engaged Nsanje Central Member of Parliament (MP) Francis Kasaila, who lost in the elections for Speaker of Parliament, as Minister of Transport and Public Works. Kasaila, a 1993 civil engineering graduate from the University of Malawi’s Polytechnic, previously served as a deputy minister in former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika’s Cabinet.
Journalist-turned-politician Kondwani Nankhumwa, who also served in Bingu’s Cabinet as deputy minister, is now heading the amalgamated Ministry of Information, Tourism and Civic Education. Kasaila is also Leader of the House with Nankhumwa as his deputy.
Former University of Malawi vice-chancellor Emmanuel Fabiano, who also served as Malawi Bureau of Standards board chairperson, is Minister of Education, Science and Technology whereas Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secretary general Jean Kalilani is back as Minister of Health.
Besides Tembenu and Fabiano, Thyolo South West MP Allan Chiyembekeza (Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation) and Nkhata Bay West MP Grace Obama Chiumia (Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture) are the other new faces among the nine appointees who include old-timers Henry Mussa (Minister of Labour) and George Chaponda (Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation).
