US embassy cable - 04LILONGWE520

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LILONGWE 000520 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, ECON, PREL, PINR, KDEM, MARR, MI, President, Political, Cabinet 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NEW CABINET 
 
REF: LILONGWE 457 
 
1. SUMMARY. More than three weeks after elections, President 
Bingu wa Mutharika finally announced his cabinet on June 13. 
With 21 senior ministers (including the President and Vice 
President) and 8 deputy ministers, Mutharika failed in his 
attempt to reduce the size of the cabinet to 20.  In an 
effort to forge a working majority in parliament (a work very 
much still in progress), Mutharika was compelled to include 
ministers from four minor parties.  He also had to balance 
his desire to streamline the cabinet with the need to 
maintain harmony in the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) 
which is chaired and controlled by former president Bakili 
Muluzi.  The 29-member cabinet is nevertheless an improvement 
from the bloated 46-member cabinet of the prior government. 
Cabinet members will be sworn in on June 16 in Blantyre.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.   Secretary to the President and Cabinet Bright Msaka on 
June 13 announced the composition of President Mutharika's 
cabinet. According to Msaka, the new appointments take into 
consideration individual merit and professional competence, 
as well as the recent memorandum of understanding between 
ruling and opposition parties. Other factors were religion, 
gender balance, and development and foreign policy goals. 
 
3.  President Mutharika will serve as Minister responsible 
for Defense and the Civil Service.  Vice President Cassim 
Chilumpha will assume the portfolio of Minister for Statutory 
Corporations.  There will be no position of second vice 
president, though former second vice president Chakufwa 
Chihana will retain his position as Minister of Agriculture. 
The new cabinet includes three members of the Republican 
Party (RP), two members of the Alliance for Democracy 
(AFORD), and one member each from Movement for Genuine 
Democratic Change (MGODE) and the New Congress for Democracy 
(NCD). 
 
4.  Members of Malawi's new cabinet are: 
 
Ministers: 
 
President, and Minister Responsible for Defense and the Civil 
Service: Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika 
 
Vice President, and Minister Responsible for Statutory 
Corporations: Dr. Cassim Chilumpha 
 
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Food Security: Dr. 
Chafukwa Chihana (AFORD) 
 
Minister of Finance: Dr. Goodall Gondwe 
 
Minister of Economic Planning and Development: David Faiti 
(RP) 
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Dr. George Chaponda 
 
Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs: Henry Phoya 
(will also serve as Attorney General) 
 
Minister of Industry, Science and Technology: Khumbo Chirwa 
(RP) 
 
Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security: Uladi Mussa 
 
Minister of Trade and Private Sector Development: Mrs. Eunice 
Kazembe 
 
Minister of Education and Human Resources: Yusuf Mwawa 
 
Minister of Transport and Public Works: Henry Mussa 
 
Minister of Lands, Housing and Service: Bazuka Mhango (RP) 
 
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development: Jaffalie 
Mussa 
 
Minister of Information, Communications, and Tourism: Dr. Ken 
Lipenga 
 
Minister of Labor and Vocational Training: Mrs. Lilian Patel 
 
Minister of Health: Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba (NCD) 
 
Minister of Mines, Natural Resources, and Environmental 
Affairs: Davies Katsonga 
 
Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture: Henry Chimunthu Banda 
 
Minister of Women, Child Welfare, and Community Services: 
Mrs. Joyce Banda 
 
Minister of Social Development and Persons with Disabilities: 
Clement Chiwaya 
 
Deputy Ministers: 
 
Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Food 
Security: Sidik Mia Mohammed 
 
Deputy Minister of Industry, Science, and Technology: Mrs. 
Elvy Kalonga Ntafu 
 
Deputy Minister of Education and Human Resources: Mrs. Anna 
Kachikho 
 
Deputy Minister of Transport and Public Works: Roy Commsy 
 
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development: 
Patricia Kaliati 
 
Deputy Minister of Information, Communications, and Tourism: 
Henri Mumba (MGODE) 
 
Deputy Minister of Health: Frank Tumpale Mwenefumbo (AFORD) 
 
Deputy Minister of Mines, Natural Resources, and 
Environmental Affairs: Bob Khamisa 
 
 
5.  Biographical information on cabinet members will follow 
in septels. 
DOUGHERTY