By Isaac Salima:
Political and governance commentators have punched holes into President Lazarus Chakwera’s latest Cabinet reshuffle, describing it as a missed opportunity.
On Wednesday, the President made changes to his Cabinet.
The development resulted in the dropping of two faces from the Cabinet.
Commenting on the development, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency Executive Director Willy Kambwandira said Malawians expected “something good” from the reshuffle.
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“It is a Cabinet that reeks appeasement, one that does not offer any slice of hope to Malawians. If anything, the new Cabinet will just exert pressure on the already ailing economy. Malawians expected the President to fire underperforming Cabinet ministers and replace them with competent individuals who can help him drive the country out of current crises. This is a missed opportunity.
“Otherwise, this is like putting old wine in a new bottle,” Kambwandira said.
On his part, Human Rights Defenders Coalition Chairperson Gift Trapence said with the current economic situation, the President could have done better in his changes.
“It is depressingly unbelievable that the President appears to be numb and oblivious to the economic, agricultural and social turmoil which we, as a nation, are facing. The situation demands some radical changes to the composition and alignment of the Cabinet, not a mere reshuffle. It is an open and demonstrably proven fact that some ministers have not delivered,” he said.
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Trapence further said he was not sure if the ministers were assessed.
“We are made to believe that there are other reasons as to why people are kept in the Cabinet apart from delivering their expected roles and, surely, I don’t think the President has any framework for appraising the performance of his Cabinet,” he said.
He also faulted Chakwera for not living by his promises on austerity measures.
“On the other hand, it is sad that he [Chakwera] keeps contradicting himself. Recently before he departed from his Dubai [United Arab Emirates] trip, he told the nation of his intention to cut down on expenditure through austerity measures which, of course, were never specified nor articulated in the mid-year budget review.
“And instead of cutting down on expenditure, he decides to increase the number of ministers in his Cabinet. This means more salaries, benefits and 4×4 fuel guzzlers for the bloated Cabinet,” Trapence said.
Good governance advocate Wonderful Mkhutche said the Cabinet had been appointed along political lines.
“We should not expect much from the new Cabinet. The changes have not been much. Looking at the numbers, it is also a bloated Cabinet, one which has been expanded because of political appeasement.
“Looking at the size of our economy, we were not supposed to have a Cabinet as large as this one,” he said.
Chairperson for Concerned Citizens of Malawi, Edward Kambanje, described the reshuffle as an exercise in futility, one that saw the recycling of faces that have been there before.
Chakwera has fired Harry Mkandawire, who was Minister of Defence, and Nancy Chaola Mdooko, who was Deputy Minister of Education.
The reconfiguration of the Cabinet has seen the President hiring newcomers such as Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesperson Jessie Kabwila as responsible for the newly-established Ministry of Higher Education and MCP’s Lilongwe East parliamentarian Ezekiel Ching’oma, who is Minister of Homeland Security.
Democratic Progressive Party parliamentarian Joyce Chitsulo from Mwanza West is the Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture; Mangochi North Member of Parliament Benedicto Chambo is Deputy Minister of Agriculture while Patricia Kainga-Nangozo, who is a former Zomba Central Constituency legislator, has been appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Noah Chimpeni, who is Nkhata Bay parliamentarian, is now new Deputy Minister of Health.
In his address to the nation on Wednesday, Chakwera said he had shaken his Cabinet to bring in renewed, energy, focus, efficiency and speed in the delivery of government services.
Chakwera last reshuffled his Cabinet in February 2023, when he reduced the number of members of his Cabinet from 30 to 25.
However, the latest reconfiguration has now seen the number of ministers rising to 31.
