Chakwera unmoved on cabinet: Malawi ministers on 5 months probation
President Lazarus Chakwera has said he will not change the appointment of a faulted Cabinet, saying he has assembled a capable team, appointed on merit and one which equates with the Tonse Philosophy in a five-months transition in which to prove to Malawians that change has come.
Among the appointments that appear to have rattled the public are the new deputy minister for lands, Abida Sidik Mia, who is married to the vice-president of the president’s party, Mohammed Sidik Mia, who is now also the transport minister; the new minister of industry, Roy Kachale, who is the son of former president Joyce Banda; and the new ministers of health and labour, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda and Ken Kandodo Banda, who are siblings and are related to Malawi’s founding president, Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
Critics have also noted various conflicts of interest: the new minister of mining Rashid ‘Rashy’ Gaffer comes from a family that owns mines; the new minister of information Gospel Kazako owns a major broadcasting network Zodiak (and is the sister-in-law of the new deputy agriculture minister) Agnes Nkusa Nkhoma.
Some of the concerns included that the cabinet comprises majority from the central region, which is the strong hold of the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP), the party Chakwera leads.
President Chakwera on Friday gave a speech to respond to the concerns, saying that all appointments were made on merit alone.
“I want to assure all Malawians that in making any appointments, I will never consider what family or region one comes from nor whom one is married to. I believe that a just society is not only one in which familial, regional and marital ties do not qualify you for service, but also one in which those ties do not disqualify you for service. The only thing that counts is merit,” said Chakwera.
He assured the country that this time would be different.
Speaking directly to his new cabinet ministers, he said: “I want you to hear me and to hear me clearly …You each have five months to produce results that will give Malawians confidence that change has come. Should you prove the sceptics right by being lazy, abusive, wasteful, arrogant, extravagant, divisive and corrupt, I will not hesitate to have you replaced.”
Chakwera said to be a minister of government is to accept the responsibility of national and political leadership.
“That responsibility should only be offered to someone on merit, where merit means a proven track record to lead people effectively in producing results in the face of formidable odds and political complexities.
“There is no one on this Cabinet who does not pass that test,” said Chakwera.
The six political parties that are Tonse Alliance partners but have, thus, not been considered in the appointments made so far include Alliance for Democracy (Aford), Malawi Forum for Unity and Development (Mafunde), Umodzi Party (UP), People’s Progressive Movement (PPM), People’s Transformation Party (Petra) and Freedom Party (FP).
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I think a deciding factor of an inclusive administration should be:
CONSIDERATION = REGION_OF_ORIGIN AND MERIT AND FREQUENCY
Here is how to expand and apply it:
Is a candidate from one of [Southern, Central, Northern], if yes, what is the percentage of such origins in the post? Does the candidate have the merit?
The economy of this country cannot support 31 cabinet members. Learn from APM; he maintained a lean cabinet of 20. There was good reason why he maintained a small cabinet. 20 seems to me to be the right number. Cabinet is not meant to be a mass rally please.
Yes APM had a cabinet of 20, but he had just as many ‘special advisors’….anthuwa zawo ndi zimozi
Many people have commented on the cabinet. Let me add my voice to this matter. I am a bona fide citizen and hence entitled to have a say.
To begin with i am happy that we kicked out DPP looters, thieves, crooks and criminals. Congratulations are in order to the Tonse Alliance.
The work of prosecuting the looters and cooks should progress quickly so that our money can be fully recovered and used for the country’s socio-economic development
The cabinet announced and sworn in by President Chakwera is a big let down. Dissapointing. My vote in the next elections will certainly not go to Chakwera. I have already made a decision
We kicked out DPP because of corruption, nepotism, tribalism, regionalism, cronyism, arrogance, impunity and many other isms. We did not do that in order to replace them with equally bad nepotists and regionalists.
If MCT and UTM have ngongole collected to finance the Tonse Alliance campaign those are private deals. Those should not be the criteria for choosing cabinet members.
This cabinet gives a chance for the DPP thieves and looters to regroup. They have legitimate issues to criticise. And if fresh elections were held today i see many voting for the dpp/ udf.
My main issues with the cabinet just to repeat what other people have already said include the following:
.. why should Sidik Mia and his spouse both be in cabinet
.. why should the Kandodo siblings both be in cabinet
.. why should Kazako and sister in law both be in cabinet
.. why should 6 of the Tonse Alliance junior partners be completely sidelined and left out
.. why should cabinet have almost half of the members from central region
.. why should the women in cabinet be mostly deputy ministers
.. why should portfolios of irrigation, gender, children, disability be ommitted from cabinet
.. there are people in cabinet with questionable profiles. These shoulf be probed. One Rashy Gaffar is mentioned by many. The recent higger bus sale to APM at K300 million needs to be probed
.. the alliance includes those who are suspected to have had a hand in cashgate. Others sold our presidential jet. I hope they will be fully investigated
In his address to the nation during the swearing in ceremony President Chakwera attempted to address these issues. Clearly most of us are not convinced with the justification. Such arrogance should be tamed.
This country has 18 million people. That provides a wide choice from where to pick cabinet members.
These and many more gives me the firm view that much as we needed change the Tonse Alliance has started on the wrong foot. I am less than convinced.
As pointed out earlier I have already taken the decision not to vote for this team in the forth coming elections in 2024/ 25.
I agree, I have also taken the same stand, they have started with arrogance and they don’t deserve our votes in 2025 honestly
Compulsory question: Giving evidence where necessary, argue for or against the statement made by Chakwera that merit belongs to central region only (20 marks)
Less than a month in office and executive arrogance is already evident. Kutathele zaka zisanu? Ayi tiziona.
We told you that just give thus reverend power and you will see that he is very arrogant. In the coming days he will reveal most of his true colours.
Who is more arrogant, Chakwera of Mathanyula?
Be serious gentlemen and ladies! Do you see only central region on the cabinet list? For once, show some seriousness. Besides, let’s give the cabinet time to perform! This is all we want. If they will not perform, they’ll be replaced!
70% of cabinet is from central region. Population wise, central region is less than 40%. This is contrary to the spirit of onclusive government. You can’t give 70% of cabinet to central region alone which has less than 40% of populatipn, but giving onlu 30% of vabinet tp the remaining over 60% No one should defend such stupidity.
We have 36% of Malawi population (from central region) taking 70% of the cabinet positions, while the huge remaing 64% of the population gets 30% of the cabinet. Does that make sense to you?
I totally support the President. This is a good move indeed. No one is greater than family. Thanks and hope for peace and salvation.
So only central region has people with merit? We will see.
beautiful indeed…. but now after this is done it is time to clear the rubble left by dpp, no honeymoon time. we have wasted the past six years to theft, the muthalika years of reign (both Muthalikas) will be remembered as LOST YEARS OF MALAWI’S HISTORY……I think I should write a book. In fact it should be “26 YEARS OF DARK HISTORY IN MALAWI”
another book should be – apart from Kamuzu, all the past presidents never really won an election in Malawi, so the book will be titlled “NOW WE KNOW”
An apologist! Tonselitis victim. Mukubvabe pain ndi DPP. Muchira
Does Chakwera think Malawians are daft?: Does he mean only central region has people with merit? Does he mean other regions don’t have people with merit? Does he mean only Kazako, Kamuzu, JZU and Mia families have members with merit? Does he think Malawians are so stupid to believe that excuse?
The clueless president needs to go refresher course or intensive training. Parliament should bring back apm as a consultant to guide chakwera until he learns how to handle the presidential ropes
APM consultant for stealing! Maliro achisankhowa mwavutika nawotu kkkkkk dikilani 2084 amayitchula Agogo anu aja bize kunyenyanyenya citizens with his careless words on political podiums!! Maula is waiting for all of your thugs! Mxiii
Athu ndi maso. However just bear in mind that Malawians are no longer sleepy and we will be keeping tabs of all dubious contracts you attempt to give each other. Gone are the days of politicians taking advantage of Malawians. Ku Lands, transport, mines, health MRA etc we got our eyes on you.
First ask what the people you want in cabinet have sacrificed for MCP when it was in the wilderness for 26 years before you begin blaming MCP’s choice of cabinet!? For most of these it is a continuation of their sacrifice than reaping rewards as you imagine because they probably would rather be running their very lucrative businesses as the esteemed lawyer Modicai Msiska did? Again, it would be wrong to include or exclude people from consideration to serve in cabinet based on family ties, district or region of origin, race, gender or religion or even age—which part of this don’t you understand????!!!!!
If you don’t understand what people are complaining about, then that’s entirely your problem. Prof Danwood Chirwa has ably explained.
It’s not about sacrifice. It’s about what MCP promised.
Kkkkkk a Lazaro a Malawi mwaiwala nthawi yomweyi? Uku ndiye timati kufa nzeru ndiye padzanatu zimachitikira APM motsogozedwa ndi HRDC, MCP/UTM zimakukomerani when u pressurized the leadership of APM so today get ready its your turn we dont want any teargas from police tikapita kunsewu bcoz sitisekerera nyansi zomwe wapangazi and u must hear this! We are not stupid! u cheated us that u will be a listening president and that u blamed APM for tribaism, nepotism, familism, now what is it now? Umdziwa mmalawi bcoz when u were in opposition umamdziwa mmalawi ngati wabwino as he sided with u but today umuwona kuti mmalawi amalusa motani when is against somebody. Its ur time to reap zija unatiphunzitsa padzana. Kodi waiwala Lazaro timathamanga limodzi ku nsewu kuja? waferanji nzeru chonchi unduna kuwunjika mbanja zooona koma iwe iwe iwe utisamale ndithu tsiku lake mpa 13/7/20