The Chief Mourner trashes the mini cabinet reshuffle

There are so many flaws in President Joyce Banda’s recent cabinet reshuffle. They expose three things. She lacks the balls to deal decisively with wayward allies, she is unconcerned about resolving the country’s plummeting economy, and she is desperately preoccupied with 2014 Elections.

The dubious dealings of Ralph Kasambara in the double offices of Attorney General and Minister of Justice cannot be dealt with simply by taking away from him one of those portfolios and giving it to Anthony Kamanga. This is transparent window-dressing that is, unfortunately, consistent with Joyce Banda’s manner of taking Malawians for fools. Those that have worked with Mr Kasambara know that it will be business as usual at the justice department, with Ralph running the show, and Kamanga playing fire fighter. By leaving Kasambara in the cabinet, the President exposes herself once again as lacking the balls to deal with wayward cabinet members.

Emphasizing that the president lacks the balls to deal with scamming cabinet members, her bed and car snatching Vice President is also left to head several Government departments in stead of being fired altogether. In fact, in a monumental blunder ever made in presidential appointments, Joyce Banda has unconstitutionally appointed the thieving vice president to be in charge of the Electoral Commission. Joyce Banda is obsessed with 2014 and has sent put her thief-in-chief to be responsible for operations relating to 2014 elections. This also is window-dressing. Where previously he had only the the ministry of health, this thief will now simply have more government departments from which to snatch things!

More importantly, the Constitution does not anywhere provide for any minister or member of the executive to have any overseeing jurisdiction over the Electoral Commission. The only powers given to the executive regarding the Electoral commission are those of appointing its members. Furthermore, the Constitution forbids ministers and other members of the executive from being members of the commission. If the Constitution fears for the compromise of the electoral commission via executive involvement, how then can it be supervised by the vice president- particularly if the vice president is a known thief?

What achievements has John Bande made in his previous portfolios of Trade and Industry and Lands to entrust him with the presently pivotal ministry of Energy?

In simple terms, then, the whole purpose of this cabinet reshuffle was to bring in Goodall Gondwe in the hope that he will somehow work his magic and save the clueless president, to harness a 2014 election drive by bribing and poaching of senior opposition members, and to window-dress and wash up the scamming members of the cabinet by fooling the nation that something has been done about them, when in fact the President has no balls to discipline anyone at all.

If there ever was a reason to begin to understand the gullibility and the sad state of the intelligence of this administration, and to truly commit to ensuring that our nation is safeguarded by any means necessary, this stupid cabinet reshuffle is all the reason that is needed!