New Cabinet of Malawi

 Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.

President of Malawi, Commander-in-chief of the Malawi Defense Force.

Saulos Chilima. 

Vice President of Malawi.

Samuel Kawale. 

Minister of Agriculture. 

Madalitso Wirima Kambauwa.

Minister of Education.

Sosten Alfred Gwengwe. 

Minister of Finance & Economic Affairs.

Nancy Tembo. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Harry Mkandawire. 

Minister of Defense.

Jean Muonawauza Sendeza.

Ministry of Gender.

Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda.

Minister of Health.

Moses Kumkuyu. 

Minister of Information & Digitization.

Titus Mvalo. 

Minister of Justice.

Agnes Makonda Nyalonje. 

Minister of Labour.

Deus Gumba. 

Minister of Lands.

Richard Chimwendo Banda. 

Minister of Local Government, Unity & Culture.

lbrahim Matola. 

Minister of Energy.

Michael Usi.

Minister of Natural Resources & Climate Change.

Vera Kamtukule.

Minister of Tourism.

Jacob Hara.

Minister of Transport and Public works.

Ken Zikhale Ng’oma. 

Minister of Homeland Security.

Monica Chang’anamuno. 

Minister of Mining.

Uchizi Mkandawire.

Minister of Youth and Sports.

Simplex Chithyola. 

Minister of Trade & Industry.

Abida Sidik Mia. 

Minister of Water & Sanitation.

Malawi Deputy Ministers

1. Harry Mkandawire – Deputy Minister of Defense.

2. Nancy Chaola Mdooko – Deputy Minister of Transport and Public Works.

3. Halima Alima Daud – Deputy Minister of Health.

4. Nancy Chaola Mdooko – Deputy Minister of Education.

5. Owen Chomanika – Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture.

6. Liana Kakhobwe Chapota – Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation.

7. Agnes Nkusa Nkhoma – Deputy Minister of Gender.

Appointed Positions

• Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda – Attorney General.

• Wilson T. Banda – Governor of Reserve Bank of Malawi.

• John Bizwick – Commissioner General of Malawi Revenue Authority.

• Ms. Colleen Zamba – Secretary to the President and Cabinet.

• Martha Chizuma – Director of Anti-Corruption Bureau.

• Masauko Edwin Chamkakala – Director of Public Prosecutions.

• Henry Ngutwa – Deputy Commissioner General of Malawi Revenue Authority.

• Agnes Katsonga Phiri – Deputy Administration Commissioner of MRA.

• Dokani Ngwira – Director General of National Intelligence Services.

Appointed Advisors

• Dr. Samson Lembani – Chief Advisor on Public Policy and Governance.

• Chancellor Kaferapanjira – Chief Economic Advisor.

• Adamson Mkandawire – Chief Presidential Advisor on Rural Transformation and Development

• Ms. Colleen Zamba – Chief Advisor on Sustainable Development Goals and International Relations.

• Ms Dorothy Ngoma – Special Advisor to the President on Safe Motherhood.

• Martha Kwataine – Special Advisor to the President on NGOs and Civil Society

• Chancellor Kaferapanjira – Chief Presidential Advisor – Economic Affairs.

• Maxwell Thyolera – Presidential Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs.

• Ephraim Chibvunde – Presidential advisor on Political Affairs.

• Lucius Banda – Advisor on Youth and Arts.

• Cleric Brian Kamwendo – Presidential Advisor on Religious Affairs.

 

Masauko Edwin Chamkakala

Masauko Chamkakala scoop 14 out of 16 vote to become the new Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), from the Public Appointments Committee (PAC) voting.

Chamkakala’s approval prevail days after he was appointed by the State President Lazarus Chakwera to replace the fired director, Steven Kayuni, for his role in the arrest of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma.

PAC chairperson, Joyce Chitsulo said the committee comes to satisfactory with Chamkakala’s performance as Legal Aid Bureau director.

“One of the things members wanted to learn from him was how he was going to make sure that there is harmony among the agencies fighting corruption and how he will enhance the working relationship between the offices of the DPP and the ACB.

We already know what he is capable of, and looking at how he has transformed Legal Aid Bureau, we know that if given this chance he will also do well in his new office,” said Chitsulo.

Chitsulo described Chamkakala as a suitable candidate for the position, saying the committee was optimistic that he will deliver in his new role just as he did at his former office

Chamkakala leaving parliament

Further-on the new Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) says scrutinising of a defamation case against Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma is among assignments on his to-do list.

Chamkakala ensured Malawians to expect a new way of handling issues. He conceded there is a lot of work to be done.

He also described as history conspicuous differences between the office under his predecessor and the
ACB director general.

On how his office will handle offences against Chizuma filed by his predecessor over her leaked audio conversation, Chamkakala said he needed some time to look at the issues.

In a brief response, he said: “I will have to examine those and other matters once I get into office.”

Chizuma, who is expected to take plea on February 8 2023 in the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court under criminal case number 236 of 2023, is facing two counts of making use of speech to lower the authority of a person before whom a judicial proceeding is being handled which the State claims is against Section 113 (d) of the Penal Code.

The summons mentions the authority as High Court of Malawi Judge Simeon Mdeza whom it says Chizuma suggested took a bribe.

The second count is making use of speech capable of prejudicing a person against a party to judicial proceedings by indicating in the audio that he was corrupt and compromised.

President Lazarus Chakwera fired Kayuni on January 18 this year following a report by a commission of inquiry headed by retired Justice of Appeal Edward Twea which faulted both Chizuma and Kayuni for lack of sound judgement.

The inquiry said Kayuni, who lodged a criminal defamation complaint against Chizuma, demonstrated lack of sound judgement by prioritising his self-interest over the responsibility of his office in relation to the leaked audio where Chizuma purportedly disclosed investigation details to a third party in January last year.

On the other hand, the report said Chizuma committed offences and that she also demonstrated lack of sound judgement in the leaked audio, and recommended appropriate action to deal with her conduct.

On 6 December, 2022 police arrested Chizuma following Kayuni’s complaint, and drove her about 50 kilometres out of Lilongwe City to Namitete Police Station.

PAC  also confirmed Hillary Chilomba  as new deputy director general for ACB replacing Elia Bodole whose contract expired.

According to  Chitsulo, Chilomba got  14 votes, one voted no while one member abstained.

Speaking to journalists Chilomba said he is ready to serve his country.

 

TEMBO CHALLEGED HICHILEMA

 

Zambian president, Hakainde Hichilema (3 from right)

The decision by Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema to obtain a bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has been challenged by Sean Tembo, President of the People’s Party (PeP). Mr Tembo has raised concerns over the President’s one-man decision to seek the IMF bailout without any cabinet scrutiny or debate.

In his statement, Mr. Tembo claimed that the President’s decision to obtain a bailout loan from the IMF, only 8 days after taking office, was a “one-man decision that was devoid of any cabinet scrutiny or debate.”

Mr. Tembo also criticized President Hichilema for not responding to his challenge to explain the necessity and benefits of the IMF bailout program. According to Mr. Tembo, “our economic prospects appeared stable at the time, and our biggest export earner; copper was trading at about $10,000 per metric tonne, our gross foreign reserves were the highest in since independence at about $3 billion, the exchange rate was around K15 per dollar, the price of breakfast mealie meal was around K120 etcetera.”

However, Mr. Tembo praised the first Minister appointed by President Hichilema, Hon. Situmbeko Musokotwane, for attempting to justify the IMF bailout program. “His main argument was that the program was necessary as it would allow the country to obtain debt relief,” he said.

Further-on, Tembo criticized the Minister for not giving a “solid explanation” when pressed about the specifics of the targeted debt relief and how the IMF would deliver it and he believes that the President’s decision to use the IMF to achieve debt relief was flawed.

“You see, when you talk about debt relief you are essentially asking your creditors to give you more flexible terms of payment, this is either by increasing the payment period so that your repayment installments can be smaller or giving you a repayment holiday of say a year or two so that you can have space to reorganize your finances or something to that effect.” he said.

According to Mr. Tembo, the Zambia had already defaulted on its creditors at the time of the IMF program, making debt relief more difficult to achieve.

He also stated that the IMF was “a wrong vehicle to use to achieve debt relief or indeed debt cancellation” because most of Zambia’s foreign debt was commercial debt owed to institutions and not sovereign debt owed to governments. “In fact, out of the $12 billion, the largest sovereign debt of about $6.6 billion was owed to China,” he said. “It is extremely difficult to re-negotiate commercial debt, but sovereign debt can be negotiated because you can appeal to the moral guilt of the creditor nation. But in the case of China, the approach really matters and a pro-western vehicle like the IMF cannot work when it comes to negotiating with China.”

He then spot on a piece of advise to President Hichilema at the time that the country would have a better chance of success with debt relief and possibly even debt cancellation if they engaged the individual creditors directly instead of using the IMF.

“When we were contracting this debt, we engaged our creditors directly and it is only respectful that now that we have problems paying back, we must engage them directly again to explain to them and to ask them how they can assist us, and most of our bilateral creditors feel disrespected if not out-rightly insulted that instead of engaging them directly regarding debt relief, we are asking the IMF to do it for us.” he said.

Fast forward to 15 months later, and the government has implemented all the IMF conditionalities, with most having a harsh effect on the Zambian people.

The amount of fertilizer allocated under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) was cut to the extent that 12 farmers were sharing one bag of fertilizer in medas.

The medicine grant to health facilities was also cut, leading to patients having to buy over 90% of their needed medicines and consumables from private pharmacies.

Electricity tariffs for connection and meter separation were increased by more than 1,000%, and fuel pump prices were increased by more than 70% in the past 6 months, with a monthly review.

The government also exported electricity while loadsheding the nation, leading to dire consequences for the economy.

Despite the government implementing all the harsh IMF conditionalities, the IMF was unable to deliver the promised debt relief. The Minister of Finance was crying in the media every day, asking the IMF to deliver the debt relief since they had implemented the IMF conditionalities as instructed.

GET TO KNOW ATUPELE AUSTIN MULUZI

Atupele Austin Muluzi

 Birthday

Atupele was born on 6 August, 1978

Place of Birth

Lilongwe, Malawi.

Parents

Bakili Muluzi (father).

Annie Chidzira Muluzi {late} (mother)

Siblings

Esmie Muluzi

Education background

Atupele went to Eastridge, Saint Andrews International High school, Bentham Grammar School, University of Leicester, University of Law in London.

Religion

Christian

Marital Status

Married to Angela Zachepa

Children 

2 children

Profession

Politician

 

Further details

Atupele Austin Muluzi occupy the name after birth by his parents Bakili Muluzi and Annie Chidzira Muluzi. His birth took place at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe. He was raised by his sister Esmie Muluzi.

At a tender age Atupele enrolled to Eastridge School in Harare, Zimababwe before going to Saint Andrews Internatinal High School in Blatyre and Bentham Grammar School in Yorkshire, in England, where he was the head boy of the school.

On furthering his education he joined the University of Leister and Studied Economics and Law.  He also enrolled at the University of Law in London, United Kingdom.

Atupele Austin Muluzi is a famous politician and business man as well. He has been in politics for the longest time. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Machinga North East Constituency during 2004 election, and then he went on to represent the Machinga North East Constituency in 2019 after he lost elections as MP as well as Presidential election candidate.

He campaigned on new beginnings where he was a fierce critic of Bingu wa Mutharika and was arrested on his way to a political rally where he was expected to address supporters. The police told him to say has no authority to hold such a public gathering after the questioning.

Though he was later given a go ahead, he was later arrested for inciting violence and was charged for disobeying the notification of a district commissioner. The rally dispersed by teargas and attack by the Police.

Then the crown was angry with the police and that led them to burn down the police station and the surrounding. The police were afraid and had to release him where after his release President Mutharika died.

After the death of Mutharika, Joyce Banda took over the reins of power and Atupele Muluzi was appointed the Minister of Economics Planning and Development in her administration. Some senior members of the ruling party attacked him at a political rally because of his position as the leader of an opposition party. He later focuses on his career as the leader of his party which came after his resignation.

Later, Mutharika appointed Muluzi in 2014 as the Minister of Natural resources, Mining, nad Energy and later moved to the post of Minister of Home Affairs and International Security in April, 2015. Again he was moved to the post of Minister of Lands, Urban Development and Housing in August, 2015.

In 2020 fresh presidential election he was running mate to incumbent president Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

 

RAILA ODINGA SEES FUTURE OF LEADERSHIP

Raila Odinga

Raila Odinga Names Leaders Likely to Succeed him when he retires from Politics.

Without disclosing when, Raila Odinga said he will hand over the mantle to others when the right time comes.

The 78-year-old dismissed the notion that he has come of age and needs to retire saying he is still very strong and can continue Raila mentioned Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka who he described as loyal and steadfast as his potential succeeder. 

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga has talked about his political future and the subsequent succession plan when he retires. 

Read more:

CDF TRANSPOTING AIP

 

It has come to note that some members of Parliament (MPs) are using part of their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to transport fertiliser for this year’s Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP) to their respective constituencies, a development commentators say is illegal.

Accordingto what the weekend nation newspaper discovered the practice is highly in the Central Region, especially in Lilongwe

Li longwe Di s t r i ct commissioner (DC) Lawford Palani confirmed in an interview yesterday that a number of lawmakers requested and accessed the funds but was unable to divulge the names of constituencies and the amounts given.

“I need time to compile the list and amounts but I can confirm that several requests were made by the MPs.” said Palani.

At least eight lawmakers accessed the funds the past weeks, this according to DC's office.

The weekend nation also established that four of the six legislators in Mchinji District benefitted from the funds.

Mchinji DC Fred Movete indicated that the MPs were given between K3 million and K5 million each to transport the fertiliser to their constituencies.

Some of the MPs who did not want to be named, claimed that CDF guidelines allow them to use the funds for agricultural projects and that fertiliser falls under that category.

But a copy of CDF guidelines under Types of Projects Eligible for CDF /WRF stipulates that the resources provided are for addressing infrastructure development problems that are identified and agreed upon jointly by the constituents and their elected MPs.

It further states that the fund should be eligible for rehabilitation of school blocks, health facilities, bridges, roads maintenance of bore holes and rural water supply including agricultural projects.

The guidelines also list a number of ineligible projects which include expenses on emergency relief assistance, fuel payment drawn for personal usage, among others.

But Malawi Local Government Association (Malga) has said the move by the MPs is contrary to what is stipulated in the guidelines and therefore ‘illegal’.

Malga chief executive officer Hadrod Mkandawire said the practice shows that the country is yet to define the concept of development, arguing that CDF is not any other legally transacted money or ORT.

“What we have been observing regrettably is that CDF is slowly but steadily turning into any other local transaction. The biggest question should be is CDF still a local development fund?” said Mkandawire.

Mkandawire explained that transporting agricultural produce or inputs through the process of supplementing shortfalls being experienced in the distribution of fertiliser cannot be categorised as local development fund because AIP is a national programme where all logistical expenses are budgeted for, controlled and disbursed at national level, and not anchored by the district agriculture office.

Minister of Local Government Blessings Chinsinga speaking through his personal assistant Steve  Chilundu referred us to the guidelines and make our own conclusions.

In June last year, Malga sought a judicial review after Parliament hiked the CDF from K40 million to K100 million and adopted new guidelines for CDF and Water Resources Fund (WRF).

The new CDF and WRF guidelines also saw MPs allocating to themselves 12 key responsibilities, which include convening meetings on a quarterly basis with area development committees, submitting requests for funding, launching and handing over of projects as well as providing written requests to DCs to release funds for a project, among others.

Councillors, on the other hand, were assigned roles such as working with village development committees to identify needs in a community and monitoring of projects.

CDF was introduced in 2006 to facilitate development in constituencies, but it has been prone to abuse with several audit reports highlighting weak accountability and management tools.

From an allocation of K1 million in 2006, the fund was raised to K3 million in 2013, K10.5 million in 2016, K19.5 million in 2018 before being increased to K30 million in 2019, K40 million in 2020 and K100 million in this financial year.

PAYEREPAYERE DEMONSTRATIONS SET

Bon Kalindo (front) to head demos

The payerepayere anti-government demonstrations is set to take root in Mulanje tomorrow.

The demonstrations organized following failure by the state president Lazarus Chakwera and vice president Saulos Chilima’s to resign within ten days they were given on 10th January this year over failure to address many challenges facing the nation.

Addressing the media in Blantyre earlier this month, Kalindo said president Chakwera and his vice Chilima, have completely fail to fulfill what Malawians empowered them with and that they needed to Pack and go.

The grouping last week gave notice to Mulanje District council on its plans to hold demonstrations this Friday which are expected to start from Chisitu ground all the way to the District Commissioner’s office where a petition will be delivered.

After awarded ago ahead from the council, the grouping through Kalindo, says everything is set for the payerepayere demonstrations.

“As we are remaining with few hours to Friday 27th January, I want to confirm that the Payerepayere demonstrations are on and the preparations are done. We are not afraid and everyone planning to attend the demonstrations should be assured that no one will intimidate them, this is our nation,” said Kalindo.

further Kalindo says, he is aware of information that government is planning to frustrate the demonstrations by imposing some restrictions and mobilizing people to attend a tree planting ceremony on the same day which he described as undemocratic.

“Malawi is a democratic nation. So, there are no laws that restrain people from demonstrating and what is being planned is nonsense. They are saying people from other districts should not participate in the demonstrations which is not possible, we are one.

“You have organized a tree planting ceremony here in Mulanje just to frustrate the demonstrations. We have known all your plans but we are saying the demonstrations are on tomorrow, Friday 27th January, 2023,” said Kalindo.

Notable faces to join the grouping in the demonstration are as of prophet David Mbewe of Freedom of Worship And Economic Liberation (Fowel), Ben Longwe, Redson Munlo, Happy Gondwe, Billy Banda and Richard Mphepo.