US embassy cable - 05LILONGWE649

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000649 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S 
STATE FOR AEASTHAM 
STATE FOR INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2015 
TAGS: EAID, ECON, KCOR, KDEM, PGOV, PREL, TBIO, MI, Cabinet 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT RESHUFFLES CABINET; SIDELINES 
VICE-PRESIDENT 
 
REF: LILONGWE 579 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: President Mutharika has reorganized his 
Cabinet, removing the portfolio of Vice-President Chilumpha 
and demoting the Minister of Information.  The President 
also fired the Minister of Mines and the Environment, 
promoted the Minister of Home Affairs to Minister of 
Agriculture, and created four new Deputy Minister 
positions.  The moves are a clear sign that the President 
is trying to sideline his VP, while rewarding his 
supporters with new positions. End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) The President took away the Ministry of Water 
Development from the Vice President, combined it with the 
portfolio of Irrigation and gave it to Gwanda Chakuamba, 
former Minister of Agriculture.  Chakuamba is the head of 
the Republican Party, one of the main parties supporting the 
President in Parliament.  This seems to be both a move to 
further sideline the VP, and to answer criticism that the 
government has not done enough to develop sorely needed 
agricultural irrigation. 
 
3. (SBU) Ken Lipenga, the embattled Minister of 
Information, has been demoted to Minister of Labor. Lipenga 
had fallen out of Mutharika's inner circle, complaining to 
Embassy officials that he was unaware of major decisions 
made by the President until after the fact.  He is being 
replaced by Patricia Kaliati, former Deputy Minister of Local 
Government and Rural Development.  Kaliati is a particularly 
perplexing choice, as she is a political novice with a weak 
command of English and no previous experience working with 
the media.  The President appears to have selected her either 
for her loyalty, or because he desires to take a more active 
role in the 
Ministry himself. 
 
4. (SBU) Eunice Kazembe, the outgoing Minister of Mines and 
Natural Resources, had been appointed Minister of Trade and 
Private Sector Development at the outset of the Mutharika 
administration.  She was demoted to Mines in the last cabinet 
shuffle.  The reasons for her more or less continuous fall 
from favor are not clear, but they may include her reputation 
for corruption.  As Ambassador to Taiwan during the Muluzi 
administration, Kazembe directed a majority of Taiwanese 
university scholarships to close relatives, including her 
children.  Reliable sources have reported that she has 
vigorously solicited equity participation in privatizations 
and other deals. In addition, she has failed to align herself 
with the President's new party and is reputed to still have 
close ties with Muluzi. 
 
5. (SBU) Uladi Mussa, former Minister of Home Affairs, has 
been promoted to Minister of Agriculture.  This is a big step 
up for Mussa, a Muslim who is known as a good politician, but 
a questionable administrator. He has served in Parliament 
since 1994, and previously served as Deputy Minister of 
Agriculture and Minister of Natural Resources and 
environmental Affairs.  Though he has faced some challenges 
as Minister of Home Affairs, he seems to be a rising star on 
the Malawian political scene. 
 
6. (SBU) Comment: All of those promoted into new positions 
appear to have been selected mainly for their loyalty to the 
President and his new party.  As reported previously 
(Reftel), trust is proving to be a critical issue for 
Mutharika, who is still struggling with political enemies 
from his old political party (some of whom are coy in their 
opposition, a category that includes Vice President Cassim 
Chilumpha).  With no natural base of his own, he is groping 
for support within Cabinet.  As well, it is clear Mutharika 
is trying to raise the government's level of effectiveness, 
particularly in the politically sensitive areas of irrigation 
and press relations.  This is not li