US embassy cable - 05LILONGWE761

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000761 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/06/2010 
TAGS: KDEM, MI, PGOV, TBIO, Political Issues 
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NEW US AMBASSADOR AND OTHER 
APPOINTMENTS 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Tyler Sparks for reasons 1.4 (b) and ( 
d) 
 
1. (SBU) On Monday, September 5, President Mutharika 
announced a number of new diplomatic appointments in the 
Malawian Foreign Service.  Topping the list is the 
appointment of Francis Moto, former Principal at Chancellor 
College, as Ambassador to the U.S.  This is the first that 
the Embassy has heard of the appointment, which will still 
have to be approved by Parliament. 
 
2. (SBU) Moto has been at the center of controversy the past 
six months centering on Chancellor College, the major 
University in Malawi.  The President, who holds the title of 
Chancellor of Chancellor College, met with students last 
week to discuss various grievances, including an extended 
faculty strike.  At that meeting Mutharika announced that 
Moto would be removed from his position.  The appointment as 
Ambassador appears to be a way to quietly sideline him. 
 
3. (SBU) Another prominent appointment is the naming of 
Agrina Mussa as new Ambassador to the U.K.  Mussa is the head 
of Malawi's Chamber of Commerce and the former Chair of 
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), the 
electricity parastatal corporation.  She is also the wife of 
Minister of Transport and Public Works Henry Mussa. Agrina 
Mussa had recently been at the center of a scandal 
surrounding the contract awarding process at the ESCOM. 
 
4. (U) Other appointments include the naming of long-time 
Clerk of Parliament Roosevelt Gondwe as Ambassador to Japan; 
former Nairobi High Commissioner Benson Tembo as HC in 
Harare; Sam Kandodo Banda, the former head of the Movement 
for Genuine Democratic Change (MGODE) political party, as HC 
in Maputo; and Professor Richard Phoya, older brother to 
Minister of Justice Henry Phoya, as HC in Dar-es-Salaam. 
 
5. (SBU) Comment: Mutharika seems to be both sidelining 
problem cases (Moto, Mussa), while rewarding supporters 
(Banda, Phoya).  In either case, he has certainly moved 
further away from his stated desire to promote qualified 
career diplomats. All appointments will still have to be 
confirmed by Parliament's Public Appointments and Declaration 
of Assets Committee. (End Comment) 
EASTHAM