Africa-Press – Malawi. Cabinet ministers will know their fate on whether President Lazarus Chakwera will retain them or give them the boot within the next 42 hours. The development comes as the month of January, in which Chakwera promised to deliver a lean and efficient Cabinet, ends Tuesday.
In an interview Sunday, Presidential Press Secretary Anthony Kasunda said Cabinet is released through the Office of the President and Cabinet. Kasunda urged Malawians to be patient, saying Chakwera will announce names of those who will be in the new Cabinet before the end of January as promised. In his New Year address, Chakwera told Malawians that he would be making changes to his Cabinet before the end of January.
“What you can expect to see when the announcement is made is a leaner Cabinet, one that is focused on maximising our nation’s limited resources on improving public service delivery, fast-tracking public works projects under construction, and unlocking the sectors of our economy that have the greatest potential for inclusive growth and shared prosperity, especially agriculture, tourism, and mining,” Chakwera said.
Last week, Cabinet ministers were spotted conducting press briefings in what could be seen as a last-gasp attempt to dodge the reshuffle. Political analyst George Phiri Sunday said Chakwera has the easiest of tasks in appointing a more professional Cabinet, having set the tone around September or October last year, when he said he was not there to please Malawi Congress Party or Tonse Alliance followers but Malawians.
According to Phiri, the only way Chakwera could impress Malawians is by engaging professionals who would help in giving him the much needed technical advice. He said politicians have proven to have failed the President over the past two-and-a-half years
In its reaction to Chakwera’s statement, the Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said it expected the Cabinet to be reduced to a maximum of 20 and that this must be the total compliment including the President, the Vice President and ministers.
The current Cabinet has 30 members, including the President and Vice President. Of the 30, a total of six members are deputy ministers. In a statement signed by party spokesperson Shadric Namalomba, the DPP said all deputy ministerial positions must be abolished.
For More News And Analysis About Malawi Follow Africa-Press
