By Cathy Maulidi & Feston Malekezo:
President Lazarus Chakwera has appointed engineer Vitumbiko Mumba as Labour Minister following the resignation of Agnes NyaLonje from the position last week.
Chakwera announced the appointment in his National Address delivered Wednesday evening, when he also reported to Malawians about his United Arab Emirates (UAE) trip, updated Malawians on the hunger crisis and the mid-term budget review presented to Parliament last week.
Commenting on NyaLonje’s resignation, Chakwera said he was reluctant to accept the letter of resignation but, in the end, he received it in order to respect her decision.
“I thank her for her service and, to succeed her and continue the work, I have appointed engineer Vitumbiko Mumba as the new Minister of Labour with immediate effect, and I wish him God’s best in his service to our country,” Chakwera said.
And reporting about his trip to the UAE, Chakwera described it as a success.
“After having successful meetings with the President, His Royal Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his officials about setting up a Government-to Government arrangement for a more sustainable supply of fuel, the legislation for which was already passed by Parliament last week, I am therefore happy to report that the UAE President will be sending a team here next month to finalise the technical aspects of the arrangement,” Chakwera said.
He also thanked those that are working with the government to find long-term solutions to forex and fuel crises.
“These include the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the European Union. And the latest to join this effort is the Government of the United Arab Emirates,” he said.
He went on to say he was doing everything possible to see Malawians happy.
Reacting to the news of his appointment, Mumba said: “I’m overwhelmed and humbled, I will work to my best ability to serve Malawians as well as the President.”
In another development, Chakwera made a quiet arrival in Mzuzu, Northern Region, yesterday ahead of this year’s Umodzi Day celebrations set for Thursday.
Unlike his usual practice of stopping at Mzuzu Shoprite to address residents and outline his mission in the region, Chakwera entered the city at 1:10pm with little fanfare.
Umodzi Day is an event aimed at fostering unity among Malawians.
This year’s celebrations are themed ‘Cultivating a Culture of Peace through Active Youth Engagement’.
