CDEDI on Chakwera’s neck over new Cabinet

Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has condemned the new Cabinet of President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, describing it as ‘a family affair Cabinet’.

On Thursday night, Chakwera released a full Cabinet list with Muhammad Sidik Mia and his wife Abida Mia being included in the Cabinet.

Mia is the Minister of Transport and Public Works while his wife Abida is deputy in the Ministry of Lands, which is headed by former parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee chairperson Kezzie Msukwa.

In another family affair, two members of founding President Kamuzu Banda—Ken Kandodo and Khumbize Chiponda—shave been appointed Minister for Labour and Minister of Health, respectively.

In a statement released today, CDEDI Sylvester Namiwa accused Chakwera of leaving out capable people in the 31 Member Cabinet.

“CDEDI notes with regret that the cabinet comprises four clearly identified families that have been incorporated into the newly announced cabinet, when Malawi has over 18 million plus people. This is contrary to the expectation of many Malawians who expected a complete departure from business as usual that characterized the previous Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regime.

“To put the record straight, President Chakwera has through this cabinet list tried so hard to please and reward some families which we believe might have contributed financially, and/or materially towards the just ended political campaign. Unfortunately, this has been done at the expense of millions of capable and qualified Malawians within the Tonse Alliance and indeed Malawi in general. Such tendencies, if not properly checked, will throw us back to the same politics of appeasement which Malawians vehemently rejected on 23rd June, 2020 when they voted in large numbers for the Tonse Alliance,” reads in part the statement.

He added: “Apart from the family dominance in the cabinet list, President Chakwera has appointed eight out of the twelve women as deputy ministers. Does this imply that women are not capable to serve as full cabinet ministers? Or let’s put it this way; are men not supposed to serve as deputies?”

Namiwa also claim that some people in the Cabinet have been placed on wrong portfolios.