Bingu’s cabinet: 2014 succession master plan
Commentators have described the new cabinet appointed by President Bingu wa Mutharika as a political master plan aimed at consolidating his grip to power and preparing his brother Peter Arthur Mutharika for succession in 2014 if he fails to secure a third term of office.
In keeping with the true Bingu, full of intrigue and surprise the President on Wednesday unveiled the cabinet that has witnessed crushing out of senior colleagues in the NGC.
Henry Mussa the treasure general of the party, Henry Phoya the legal affairs director of the party who only last week was boasting as the longest serving minister of constitutional affairs, Davis Katsonga campaign director and heir apparent, Dr. Ken Lipenga the professional communications man; the maverick Symon Vuwa Kaunda, desertees of MCP Ted Kalebe and Bintoni Kutsaira, upstart homeboys Charles Mchacha and Roy Commsy; the Nyasa political gurus Henry Mumba, Mwerekete Kalua and Frank Mwenefumbo; and not forgetting the Kabula hill giant Rashid Gaffar.
These casualties were last week during an international football match upbeat about their automatic inclusion into the cabinet based on their contribution to the party in the name of financial, material and moral.
“We’re Bingu’s blue eyed boys, nothing can happen without us and there is no way we can be left out in the next cabinet,” charged one lawyer casualty from a rural constituency in Blantyre.
Phoya was on TVM boasting to have been the most efficient minister to have served longest in the same capacity.
Vuwa-Kaunda was also boasting at the High Court on Tuesday that he is rushing to Lilongwe to collect his ministerial limousine because he had been tipped that he is included in the new cabinet.
The cabinet appointment has seen Malawi’s star performer finance minister Goodall Gondwe demoted to the local government ministry sacrificed for late dictator Kamuzu Banda’s nephew Ken Kandodo.
The unexpected departure from the finance ministry of Gondwe has sent the country into panic mode because the successor is a novice in a trade that requires long experience and international connections which Gondwe had as former World Bank employee.
Kandodo on the other hand is a qualified young man but without international finance experience. Most people in Blantyre remember him as comrade to the underworld as evidenced by the loss of classy Mercedes company car to a money shark Rodgers Mwitha.
Probably he is now grown out of it, like all life experiences he may use the past to guide him into the future.
The movement of Dr George Chaponda to the education ministry is another surprise because Chaponda has spent a large cut of his life in refugee camps as an employee of UNHCR.
Conspicuously missing are the several individuals who registered new love for the DPP strategically timed to be considered into the new cabinet.
They include, former vice president Cassim Chilumpha, Uladi Mussa, Yusuf Matumula, Dr. Cornelius Mwalwanda, fired MCP publicist Ishmael Chafukira, former MBC employer Jolly Kalero, Dr. Paul Shaba, Dr. Allan Chiyembekeza, Rev. Ngwira, UDF’s Henry Shaba, Nicholas Dausi among several others.
Also left out are PhD holders Donton Mkandawire, David Mphande, Maggie Kalirani and Bofomo Nyirenda.
The President has not given any ministerial position to the vice president Joyce Banda despite the Head of State grabbing the portfolio of minister of agriculture.
The cabinet has also shut out hopes completely of former desertees of UDF from regrouping in readiness for 2014.
Tagged with: 2014 elections, Bingu, Cabinet, Peter Mutharika
Wazawaza says:
Amalawi tiyeni tisinthe. Some of us we were saying the President is taking long to comeup with a cabinet and now that the cabinet is here we have changed the version “why?” The President has done his duty and I don’t think it was possible for him to unclude everyone let alone living other ministers in the likes of G Gondwe in their previous ministries. I think in the first place we have to know that for Gondwe to be a star performer, he was first appointed just the same as these others and I believe nobody new e would perform the way he did. I think we should also give these new ministers a chance. After all thes positions are subject to reshuffle at the decretion of his excellence. About Peter being groomed , I don’t think its proper for us to conclude so. He won the elections and if the president so him fit to be a minister there is nothing wrong with his appointment. My thinking is since DPP has many MPs, the President has a mind of using these Mps for sometime later he will engage others. My plea is that ew should all unite to pray for GOD’s guidance to our President and, the cabinet and all the paliamentarians to work in unity for our beloved country to develop. Let me also encourage those Mps who did not make it to cabinet postions not to worry for not all days are sundays. Your time will come.
This is another supper story for Malawians. Lets watch and see what the nations will gain from Bingus 2 term, with his so called ‘Cabinet that will deliver.’
Who will succeed Bingu in this country is not dependent on Mutharika alone. I don’t think that it is true that the fact that Peter Mutharika has been given a ministerial position then it means he is being groomed for president. Goodall Gondwe in my opinion has more chances than nayone else to succeed Mutharika ther elderly. In the first term he showed himself how capable he is to run this nation’s finances, but he did that as an experienced technocrat. Now is his chance to show his political maturity. His political positions – leader of the house and Minister of Local Government and Rural development – accord him this opportunity. If he remained at the Ministry of Finance, he would have remained a technocrat, as he has always been thought of. It is now time for Goodal to go out and meet Malawians who include chiefs, soon councillor and less important people like myself. Don’t be crying babies, please!
Some of us who are senior members in the DPP knew about Dr. Mutharika’s plans to pave way for his brother long time ago. Nobody can explain the reason why Prof. Mutharika had to quit a lucrative job at an American University for cheap Malawi politics.
By removing the Phoya’s Mussa’s and Lipenga’s of this world, and also by not giving his deputy Joyce Banda a functioning office, Bingu has clearly made his intentions known that he is no better than others who he insults as power hungry .
I don’t understandard what Goodall will be doing at local government whose job involves attending to chiefs funerals and coronations, what a shame to Bingu!
Its too bad that Goodall is too scared to resign otherwise it is the end of the road for his career because he has lost face before the nation and his own international colleagues and his own people who wanted him to be another Chakufwa Chihana where people could rally around.
Ndapita ine Dr. Mabuleki
Joyce Banda no portfolio – house wife
To me it doesnt matter if peter mutharika, becomes the next president, to begin with he is Malawian, and as a human being he has his aspirations as well. It will be unjust to deny peter the presidency on the basis of his brother being president. Again if these chaps deliver the goods with their new cabinet, I think its better choosing them rather than going for people like Mpinganjira and Tembo who have completely nothing to offer to the country. Think about this Malawians, I think voting from now should be who is going to look after us rather tahn finding the office as a means to end his own poverty. However if new blood with new ideas comes up, I am for them, but we shouldint ever ever again elect people like Mluzi who thought government ndi MADILAMA. ANKAYETSA CHIBOMA CHIMAYENDA CHOKHA POWERED BY CORRUPTION. Sorry hounourable country me.
This article has attracted alot of comments from people. The truth is the fact that Mutharika was elected as head of state does not mean that Malawi has now been privatised to his benefit. This therefdore means that being a job perfoermed on behalf of Malawians he must not abuse their trust. Dr. Banda was very smart he never apointed a relative into his government business he exercised administrative notice that this county belongs to all Malawians and appointments had to reflect that mirage where competent and capable persons–at times loyal and faithful malawians were appointed. Dr. Muluzi also resisted appointing direct relatives into the government system; Yes he fell into the trap of appointing more muslims just like Bingu has also appointed more catholics and Mulhakhos. These appointments will breed a lot of internal DPP rivalry because the dropped ministers will find it embarrassing to be reporting to persons who are relatively green in the party and these will spill into government .
Politically i have yet to see an efficient cabinet of professors particularly where they are asked to perform duty that are diverse to their expertise. Prof. Mwanza is an educationist who has majored and specialized in Biology and this guy has no clue about construction engineering. Goodall Gondwe is a finance man and has spend his time in corridors of financial institutions how can he suddenly become minister of chiefs? Kandodo is a business manager to be very specific he was working as an auditor at Deloitte and Touche in Mozambique after he had been chased by his own uncle late Ngwazi Dr. Banda. Kandodo would have been fine in trade ministry or managing statutory corporations where his expertise would have been much appreciated in looking at P & L cash flows etc.
To have a Veep without ministerial portfolio is dangerous because you are virtually declaring this lady redundant. What is worse for Joyce Banda is that the ministry of women and children which are her pet projects has been given her sworn enemy Mrs. Kaliati (Akweni). Banda has also lost her other pet ministry of international cooperation to Prof. Etta Banda. When we want to promote women lets do it with honesty and not just to get their votes.
Dr. Jean Kalirani is a brilliant lady with huge international exposure could we not have benefited from her international tour of duty if she was made minister of health? Could we not have benefited free ARVs, free TB drugs, free bed net, free cholera drugs and generally get favored status due to her contacts? Finally i wish Ken Lipenga and Phoya good luck because you are guys who can survive in and outside DPP. We’ve not heard you bad mouth or wish other people bad…you are suffering because you held on to the moral higher ground. Personally i wouldn’t mind these guys vying for presidency in 2014.
New blood! This reduces ministerial dictatorship. That is why presidents are given term limits–you didn’t know? But then proper vetting of these guys should be done because from what i am reading here some people doubt the maturity of some appointees; okay and fair in a democracy.
Let us give Bingu and his cabinet 100 days to gauge the direction of his administration.
A lot of commentators seem to be very doubtiful of the choice of some of his ministers.
So Mr President, listen to the voice of people who put you into that office.
As the saying goes Mr President, where there is smoke, certainly there must be fire!!
vuto ndi chiyani amalawi? bingu is the driver. onsewo a gudo, poya ndani ndani ndiwongokwera nawo. musiyeni muwone nzeru zake. olo pita atakhala pulezident palibe vuto, bola anthu adzamuvotere. demokalase ndi choncho. any person is an individual. remember bush senior and junior, nobody complained.