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On Thursday, President Peter Mutharika finally completed constituting his Cabinet, announcing 16 more names for his 21-member team. Commentators Benedicto Kondowe, who is chairperson of the National Advocacy Platform (Nap) and Wonderful Mkhutche have shared their assessments of the cabinet. Kondowe commended the appointment of capable women such as Vice President, Jane Ansah, and six other women. However, their overall share still falls short of the targets set by the Gender Equality Act (2013) and Malawi 2063, he said. He also said low representation of youth and absence of persons with disabilities in the cabinet contradicts the National Youth Policy and the Disability Act (2012), despite these groups forming the majority and reflecting Malawi’s diversity. “Their exclusion risks limiting innovation, representation and inclusive development,” he said. He added: “Nap therefore calls for deliberate and intentional incremental inclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities, not only in the cabinet, but also across boards, heads of MDAs, and diplomatic missions to ensure leadership that truly reflects Malawi’s diversity and shared aspirations.” For Mkhutche, the best that Mutharika could have done about the new cabinet is to ensure it is lean – something he said he has delivered. Now it is the performance of this cabinet that will matter, according to Mkhutche. “Our country is going through a lot of economic challenges. Malawians want a cabinet that is going to respond to these problems. “DPP won the September 16 elections with the promise to turn around the country for the better. This cabinet is expected to help the President deliver on this promise,” he said. Mkhutche added that what Malawians now need is to make sure that the ministers are delivering. Among the members in the Cabinet are new faces in Malawi’s politics. They include Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Francis Foley; Minister of Transport and Public Works, Feston Kaupa; Minister of Health and Sanitation, Madalitso Baloyi; and Minister of Labour, Skills and Innovation, Joel Chigona. Familiar faces include Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Bright Msaka; Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Shadric Namalomba; Minister of Homeland Security Minister, Peter Mukhitho; Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ben Phiri. Mutharika picked his first three Cabinet ministers on October 6. They were Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Joseph Mwanamvekha; Minister of State, Alfred Gangata; and Minister of Foreign and International Cooperation, George Chaponda. On October 17, Mutharika appointed George Partridge as Minister of Industrialisatiaon, Business, Trade and Tourism and Roza Fatch Mbilizi as Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development. The new Cabinet minister will be sworn-in today at the Bingu International Conference Centre.
