Monday, August 9, 2010

Malawi President reshuffles his cabinet

The Malawi President has reshuffled his cabinet. Here is a list of the new cabinet as announced on MBC TV and various radios:

The State President:
His Excellency Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika
*Commander in Chief: Malawi Defense Force: Malawi Police Service
*The Greenbelt Irrigation Program
*The Nsanje World In-land Port
*Statutory Corporation Policy Direction
*The Civil Service
*The National Food Reserve Agency-NFRA
*The Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation-Admarc

The First Lady: Her Excellency Madam Callista Mutharika
*Maternal, Infant and Child Health; Safe Motherhood.

Vice President: Right Honorable Mrs. Joyce Banda
*HIV and Aids Coordination; TB and Malaria Program
*National Relief and Disasters Management

MINISTERS

1. Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs: Honorable Nicholas Dausi MP

Government Ministries:

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology:
1. Minister; Professor Peter Arthur Mutharika, MP

2. Deputy; Higher Education; Oteria Moyo Jere, MP

3. Deputy; Primary and Secondary Education; Victor Sarjeni, MP

Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
4. Minister; Professor Etta Elizabeth Banda, MP

5. Deputy; Stafford Kamwendo, MP

Ministry of Finance:
6. Minister; Ken Edward Kandodo, MP

7. Deputy; Freza Nkhoma Nihoria, MP

Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security:
8. Minister; Professor Peter Mwanza, MP

9. Deputy; Maggrate Mauwa, MP

Ministry of Justice, Constitutional Affairs:
10. Minister; George Thapatula Chaponda

Ministry of Development Planning and Corporation:
11. Minister; Abbie Malambika Shawa, MP

12. Deputy; Daniel Sipuliyana Liwimbi, MP

Ministry of Transport, Public Infrastructure:
13. Minister; Sidik Mia, MP

14. Deputy; MaCJonesMandala Shawa, MP

Ministry of Irrigation, Water Development:
15. Minister; Richie Biswick Muheya, MP

16. Deputy; Grenenga Msulira Banda, MP

Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development:
17. Minister; Anna Namathanga Kachikho, MP

18. Deputy; Francis Lazaro Kasaira, MP

Ministry of Industry and Trade:
19. Minister; Eunice Kazembe, MP

20. Deputy; Shadreck Jonasi, MP

Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development:
21. Minister; John Bande, MP

22. Deputy; Billy Kaunda, MP

Ministry of Gender, Child Development and Community Development:
23. Minister; Tereza Gloria Mwale, MP

24. Deputy; Catherine Gotani Hara, MP

Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture:
25. Minister; Ken Lipenga, MP

26. Deputy ; Augustine Mtendere, MP

Ministry of Labour:
27. Minister; Yunus Mussa

Ministry of Youth Development and Sports:
28. Minister; Luciuos Grandson Kanyumba, MP

29. Deputy; Charles Mchacha, MP

Ministry of Health
30. Minister ; Professor Daved Kapererera Mphande, MP

31. Deputy; Felton Mulli, MP

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Public Security:
32. Minister; Aaron Sangala, MP

33. Deputy; Annie Lemani, MP

Ministry of National Defense:
34. Minister; Leckford Thotho, MP

Ministry of Information and Civic Education:
35. Minister; Vuwa Simone Kaunda, MP

36. Deputy; Tarsizio Thumi Gowelo, MP

Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment:
37. Minister; Greay Wyson Malunga

38. Deputy; Ephraim Ganda Chiume, MP

Ministry of Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly:
39. Minister; Reen Bessie Kachere,MP

40. Deputy; Chimango Chipimpha Mughogho,MP

Notable names that have been dropped include : Hon. Patricia Kaliati, Hon Goodall Edward Gondwe, Professor Moses Chirambo and Hon. Khumbo Kachali.

Hon. Ken Lipenga and Vuwa Kaunda bounces back into the cabinet while Professor David Mphande is one of the new faces in this cabinet.

The new cabinet will be sworn in on Wednesday at the Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Some Malawian leaders like politicking than initiating development

I know that the headline is too strong for some people to digest but those that follow Malawi politics closely will agree with me. Malawi is just coming out of the 2009 elections in which the current President, Prof. Bingu wa Mutharika won with a majority. As a development concious Malawian, I thought that we now have a government which will develop Malawi now that it has been given the mandate. But with just a year gone, what we see is a party, which was supposed to back the President in initiating development, spending much time politicking and wasting time in campaigning for the 2014 elections.

In a layman's point of view, after elections, the country has to rally behind the winner and move forward. Campaigning for elections officially starts a few months before the elections. The debate taking place in the DPP is not healthy for development of a nation. Party leaders are very much worried of who will replace the current President in 2014 than what a majority of Malawians need in their day to day lives.

What worries most are the speeches coming out of these leaders, instead of building the nation we are being divided according to our gender, race, tribe and religion. The usual mudslinging that characterises campaign period are what we are witnessing. Using the public brodcaster to castigate possible threats to their desired candidate. Other leaders who could have contributed to the development are being frustrated and some are sidelined in making important decisions.

I understand that people in the village needs what they were promised in the run up to the 2009 elections. In Phalombe, people want when their road will be finished. In Nsanje expectations are high for the road projects, the port and many other things they were promised. Its not the right time to worry about who will replace the incumbent president when they don't know what they will eat for the coming days.

Am happy that Malawi has a visionary leader who wants to transform the nation. He still has four years to carry out his projects. He has been praised in the whole world for making Malawi a model in food security. Thinking about who will replace him now is not the right thing to do. I believe he will be distracted from what he is doing for the country.

There are some leaders who just want to be politicking everyday of their lives. They don't understand they were chosen to serve Malawians and initiate development and not lord over them. In democracy, leaders need to implement what people want.

Malawi is a big nation therefore its destiny cannot be decided by a few individuals. That's why we have elections every five years to decide who we want to lead us. We have vivid examples of what happened to leaders who wanted to impose things on Malawians. This crop of leadership is not exceptional.Whatever Malawians will not like in the years before 2014 will be decided by the ballot.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Unfair World

I see them everyday at my work place selling different kinds of things. As young as seven, who can hardly give you the right amount of change, are selling us bananas, cooked maize and sugarcanes. They wake up very early and walk to various areas to sell the things sent by their parents.

Some have even stopped going to school because of various reasons but mainly their parents too poor to take care of them. So they are sent to sell these foods to find their daily needs. I have managed to talk to some of them who narrated very sad stories about their families. Life is unfair.

The word 'unfair world' keeps coming to mind when I see them everyday. I always try to engange them in conversation to hear them out. They all have stories to tell. Even their parents are able to tell me why they send them to the streets. They are convinced that that's the only way.

One example is of a thirteen year old girl called Maggie who has just started selling cooked maize near our office. I talked to her several times. She has just written the Primary School Leaving examinations and in search for money to pay for secondary education, her parents sent her to do business. She seems to like this idea.

But the streets are not a safe place for a 13yr old who has to travel a long distance to her home in the evening. We read in papers of 8yr olds who are raped right in their homes. What more with a 13yr old who is looking money to make ends meet? Life is unfair.

I feel sorry for them everday. I try to help where I can but they just keep coming. You can see it in the way they dress, the food they eat and the life they live.