Finally! Chakwera releases long awaited cabinet

Malawians have woken up to President Lazarus Chakwera’s new cabinet that came out about an hour later than his self-set January deadline.

Notable casualties in the 27-member team of ministers are MCP Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka who was at Natural Resources and Climate Change, and his UTM counterpart Patricia Kaliati formerly at Gender.

Others are Gospel Kazako, who was at Information, Timothy Mtambo formerly at National Unity, Mark Katsonga from Trade, Blessings Chinsinga who was at Local Government and Albert Mbawala who was at Mining.

Fresh faces in the cabinet are Ken Zikhale Ng’oma at Homeland Security, Moses Kunkuyu at Information, Simplex Chithyola at Trade and Industry, and Uchizi Mkandawire at Sports as well as Liana Kakhobwe Chapota as Deputy Water and Sanitation Minister.

However members of the public are of the view that the cabinet is not lean.

“The Cabinet is not Lean as Promised! Some ministries could have been removed and make one as done with Unity. Some Casualties zachita kuonetsa kuti panali nkabgano kuti ngati tuchotsa SG wa chipachi ichi mu cabinet musakhalenso SG aliyense. This has affected Kaliati…she is a hard worker”.

Another follower also observes that the cabinet is still bloated.

“Still not satisfactory…the said cabinet shouldn’t be called lean, it’s still fat! Don’t know how things work up there but here on the ground, the minister of gender was really doing things. Think she shoulda been maintained. It’s also pretty good positive that an opposition side has been put into a ministry, really mature move. Hope it has been done in good faith”.

Others have described the cabinet composition as a mare reshuffle as a majority are the same old faces.

“He promised not to exceed 20 cabinet Ministers and this is not a new cabinet but he has just rotated or reshuffled his ministry”.

A new twist in the new cabinet in the appointment of opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Owen Chomanika, as the deputy at Local Government.

Several ministers have also been moved from their previous portfolios including Michael Usi from Tourism to Natural Resources, Agnes Nyalonje from Education to Labour and Vera Kamtukule from Labour to Tourism.

One of the casualties Patricia Kaliati, has told Capital FM that she is not bitter, as this is the President’s prerogative.

The general secretary of the key Tonse Alliance partner UTM, has however said that her dismissal from the cabinet is not an indication that there is a rift between president Chakwera and his vice Saulos Chilima.

Meanwhile, comments continue pouring in from various stakeholders and members of the public.