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Malawi’s President Chakwera names new Cabinet

Thursday January 27 2022
Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera.

Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera at an SADC Summit in Lilongwe on August 17, 2021. PHOTO | AMOS GUMULIRA | AFP

By KITSEPILE NYATHI

Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera on Thursday appointed new ministers after sacking his entire Cabinet on Monday over graft allegations.

The President faced weeks of protests and pressure from the civil society demanding action against corruption.

Mr Chakwera, who swept to power in 2020 after a historic election victory, said some of the sacked ministers and government officials had to answer to the graft allegations.

Samuel Kawale has been appointed Lands minister, replacing Kezzie Msukwa, who was arrested in December over a corruption scandal.

Others are Mark Phiri named Trade and Industry minister, Abida Mia, who takes over the Water and Sanitation portfolio, and Vera Kamtukule to head the Labour docket.

Chakwera’s office on Thursday said more appointments would be announced soon.

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Zangazanga Chikhosi, the President’s spokesperson, said the delay in releasing the full Cabinet list was due to the government’s response efforts to the devastation caused by tropical storm Ana.

The Malawian leader’s move to dissolve his Cabinet has earned him praise from the United States, whose envoy said the US supports “government transparency and access to information” in the fight against corruption.

“We concur with President Chakwera’s call to the citizens of Malawi to play an active role in the ongoing fight against corruption,” US embassy charge d’Affaires in Lilongwe, Jeremy Neitzke, said in a statement.

President Chakwera, who succeeded Peter Mutharika, had campaigned on the promise to end endemic corruption in Malawi and usher in economic revival.

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