On 2nd February, 2023, President Lazarus Chakwera came openly challenging his newly appointed Cabinet Members to uphold to the laws of the land as failing to do so in executing their duties will find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
Speaking at Kamuzu Palace during the swearing-in ceremony of ten Cabinet Members who have just been appointed in his Cabinet of twenty seven members with him and his vice inclusive, President Chakwera said the oath taken is solemn, sacred, serious, and painful that sometimes leaves the officers at the crossroads of choosing between their affection or favor and the constitution. Here the President urged them to choose the constitution every time as required by the oath they have taken.
“So although those of you who have taken your oath of office today know that this oath is sacred, solemn, and serious, I feel duty bound to remind you that keeping this oath will sometimes be a painful and unpopular thing to do. When that moment comes for you to choose between your affection or favor and the constitution, remember that this oath you have taken today requires you to choose the constitution, every time. If you do not choose the constitution, either out of a desire to be popular or out of fear of what it will cost you, you will find yourself on the wrong side of the law, and I want you to know that, that is a side on which I will not join you, despite the great favor and affection I hold for you today.” Warned President Chakwera.
Chakwera who referred to himself to have gone through a painful experience of keeping the oath of his office at several occasions, told the newly appointees in his cabinet that he made decisions out of respect of the oath he took for his office, urging them to make decisions out of respect to the oath they have also taken during their swearing-in ceremony.
Throughout his speech, President Chakwera centred on the oath the ten cabinet members have taken, saying there is a need for them to remind themselves of the oath before making any decision in the course of discharging their duties.
Writing on his Facebook page, President Chakwera said: “We all expect cabinet ministers with the right attitude and mindset to serve the Tonse agenda in unity. It is only when we work together as members of one cabinet that we will achieve a lot in terms of transforming people’s livelihoods through delivery of social services. I will continue to closely monitor my cabinet to ensure that we are delivering on our promises in line with our servant leadership philosophy.”
The ten newly Cabinet Members who took the oath of office on Thursday, 2nd February, 2023 are: Hons. Dr. Ken Zikhale Ng’oma (Minister of Homeland Security), Simplex Chithyola Banda (Minister of Trade & Industry), Uchizi Mkandawire (Minister of Youth and Sports), Moses Kunkuyu (Minister of Information and Digitalization), Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima (Minister of Education), Owen Chomanika (Deputy Minister of Local Government, Unity, and Culture), Liana Kakhobwe (Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation), and the following honorables from Deputy Ministers to full Ministers: Monica Chang’anamuno (Minister of Mining), Harry Mlekanjala Mkandawire (Minister of Defence), and Deus Gumba (Minister of Lands).