Feb. 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The President of Malawi, Lazarus Chawkera, has announced a reshuffle of the Government that includes a reduction in the number of ministers and the appointment of seven new faces, including an opponent, after complaints against several ministers for their alleged involvement in corruption cases.
According to the information collected by the newspaper ‘Nyasa Times’, among the ministers who have left the Executive –which has 27 positions, instead of 33– include those of Information, Local Government, Culture, Commerce and Energy. The decision thus excludes senior officials from the government coalition.
Chakwera announced in his New Year’s speech that he would announce a redevelopment in the face of investigations by the Malawi Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and British authorities, which has increased pressure against him for apparent impunity for such crimes.
The president has also decided not to give any ministry to the vice president, Saulos Chilima, who is among those accused of corruption. However, he cannot fire him because the law prohibits this option.
Chakwera fired chief prosecutor Steven William Kayuni in January over the controversial December arrest of ACB chief Martha Chizuma. Thus, he criticized the management of the case and stated that “it is serious that the chief prosecutor had a moment about an erroneous judgment or a conflict of interest.”
The Malawian president prevailed in the 2020 elections, which were held after the 2019 presidential elections – in which former president Peter Mutharika was re-elected – were annulled by the courts due to irregularities during the process .
After that, the new president promised in his inaugural speech at the end of June 2020 to fight corruption in the country and asked the judicial apparatus “to do more to end the culture of corruption and selective justice”, although members of his own Executive They have been embroiled in corruption scandals.
