VZCZCXRO2265
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLG #0361/01 1311045
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 111045Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY LILONGWE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4197
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 LILONGWE 000361 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF/S 
STATE FOR INR/AA RITA BYRNES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM MI
SUBJECT: MUTHARIKA'S CABINET BALOONS TO 44 POSTS 
 
 
LILONGWE 00000361  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: President Mutharika extensively reshuffled 
his cabinet on May 10, firing two ministers outright and 
adding nine new ministers or deputy ministers, to bring the 
total cabinet positions up to 44 (two of which Mutharika has 
filled himself).  This is the largest cabinet since former 
President Muluzi's group of 46 ministers, and is widely seen 
as an effort to reward the President's supporters in 
Parliament, while punishing those who refuse to join his 
political party.  Mutharika, who criticized Muluzi's cabinet 
size and promised to have a "lean" cabinet when he came into 
office, has increased the cabinet each year in office, after 
starting with only 28 ministerial positions in 2004. 
However, this latest reshuffle should not improve the 
government's strength in Parliament, where it currently has a 
minority, as primarily those already in the party have been 
given plum ministerial posts.   Key ministries affected 
include the Ministry of Information and Tourism (which has 
been split into two ministries), the Ministry of Defense, the 
Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Economic Planning 
and Development. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Minister of Justice Bazuka Mhango and Minister of 
Youth, Sports and Culture Jaffalie Mussa were both relieved 
of their ministerial portfolios outright.  While both Mhango 
and Mussa are Members of Parliament, neither had officially 
joined President Mutharika's Democratic Progressive Party 
(DPP), which most believe led to their removal from office. 
It is unclear at this time whether both, or either one 
individually, will remain with the government, or will now 
officially join the opposition.  Of the new cabinet members, 
only two had been sitting with the opposition parties, new 
Deputy Minister for Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly 
Yunus Mussa and new Deputy Minister of Health Felton Mulli. 
The other new ministers comprise back-benchers already within 
the DPP. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The biggest change involved in the reshuffle is the 
split of the Ministry of Information and Tourism into two 
separate ministries--the Ministry of Information and Civic 
Education, and the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture. 
 The outspoken Patricia Kaliati--widely despised by many 
local tourist operators--has been retained as Minister of 
Information, but will no longer have dominion over tourism, 
where Callista Chimombo will serve as Minister.  Aside from 
the personalities involved, this will hopefully put more 
emphasis on Malawi's tourist sector, one of the few areas 
with potential for significant growth. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The new Minister of National Defense, Bob Khamisa, 
previously held the post of Minister of Home Affairs and 
Internal Security, while former Defense Minister Davis 
Katsonga has been moved to the Office of President and 
Cabinet as Minister for Presidential and Parliamentary 
Affairs.  Khamisa has been a MP since 1999, though he only 
joined Mutharika's government in 2006 after defecting from 
the opposition.  One of the few "colored" (bi-racial) 
parliamentarians, Khamisa comes from a wealthy family 
involved in the transport business and is considered to be 
down to earth and easy to work. 
 
¶5. (SBU) President Mutharika has assumed the title of 
Minister of Education, replacing former Minister Anna Kachiko 
who had been involved in a scandal over reports regarding her 
lack of a high school diploma.  Mutharika, who is keen to 
promote a new Science and Technology University in Lilongwe 
and a private University in his home district of Thyolo, will 
have two Deputy Ministers serving under him.  Mutharika will 
also retain the position of Minister of Agriculture, which he 
assumed in late 2006. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Mutharika has also finally filled the portfolio of 
Minister of Economic Planning and Development, which will be 
manned by former opposition MP Ted Kalebe.  Kalebe had 
previously been serving as Deputy Minister of Finance, where 
he managed the Debt and Aid section.  Economic Planning and 
Development is the key partner ministry to Malawi's Millenium 
Challenge Threshold plan program. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Comment:  The swelling of Mutharika's cabinet is a 
purely political move, however it serves as another example 
of how the President has disappointed his most sincere 
supporters, and the reshuffle has been sharply criticized in 
the press.  The Cabinet now makes up almost 60 percent of the 
entire DPP caucus in Parliament, an astounding figure.  A key 
tenet of his 2004 presidential acceptance speech was 
Mutharika's pledge to maintain a "lean" cabinet, with 
 
LILONGWE 00000361  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
ministers appointed based upon merit.    This latest 
reshuffle flies squarely in the face of those promises, and 
sends a signal that the President is now more focused on the 
2009 election than his erstwhile reform agenda. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Politically, what is more puzzling than the creation 
of the additional posts is the President's choices to fill 
them.  Mutharika hasn't used the additional positions to add 
meaningfully to his party's ranks. Only two MPs who have 
switched sides from the opposition to government, and 
Mutharika loses the two ministers who have been fired, 
rendering no net change in the number of DPP MPs.  This does 
nothing to help the DPP in parliament, and makes meaningful 
legislation no easier to pass.  It would not have been 
difficult to entice a number of opposition members to cross 
over to government to take up ministerial posts.  Instead, 
Mutharika has rewarded those already with the DPP who had 
been serving as back-benchers, and left his party just as 
weak as it always has been--yet another show of Mutharika's 
political inexperience and lack of competent political 
advisors.  End Comment. 
 
Complete Cabinet List 
--------------------- 
 
¶1. Bingu Wa Mutharika - President; Minister of Agriculture; 
Minister of Education 
 
¶2. Cassim Chilumpha - Vice President 
 
¶3. Goodall Gondwe - Minister of Finance 
 
¶4. Henry Chimunthu Banda - Minister of Energy and Mines; 
Leader of the House 
 
¶5. Davis Katsonga - Minister of Presidential and 
Parliamentary Affairs 
 
¶6. George Chaponda - Minister of Local Government and Rural 
Development 
 
¶7. Ken Lipenga - Minister of Industry and Trade; Deputy 
Leader of the House 
 
¶8. Joyce Banda - Minister of Foreign Affairs 
 
¶9. Henry Mussa - Minister of Transport, Public Works and 
Housing 
 
¶10. Henry Phoya - Minister of Justice 
 
¶11. Kate Kainga Kaluluma - Minister of Women and Child 
Development 
 
¶12. Patricia Kaliati - Minister of Information and Civic 
Education 
 
¶13. John Khumbo Chirwa - Minister of Lands and Natural 
Resources 
 
¶14. Anna Kachikho - Minister of Labour 
 
¶15. Mohammed Sidik Mia - Minister of Irrigation and Water 
Development 
 
¶16. Marjorie Ngaunje - Minister of Health 
 
¶17. Bob Khamisa - Minister of National Defence 
 
¶18. Clement Khembo - Minister of Persons with Disabilities 
and the Elderly 
 
¶19. Khumbo Kachali - Minister of Youth Development and Sports 
 
¶20. Ernest Malenga - Minister o Home Affairs and Internal 
Security 
 
¶21. Ted Kalebe - Minister of Economic Planning and Development 
 
¶22. Callista Chapola Chimombo - Minister of Tourism, Wildlife 
and Culture 
 
¶23. Richard Msowoya - Deputy Minister of Education, Science 
and Technology (Higher Education, Science and Technology) 
 
¶24. Henri Mumba - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs 
 
LILONGWE 00000361  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶25. Roy Commsy - Deputy Minister of Mines 
 
¶26. Frank Mwenifumbo - Deputy Minister of Irrigation and 
Water Development 
 
¶27. Charles Mchacha - Deputy Minister of Youth Development 
and Sports 
 
¶28. John Bande - Deputy Minister of Information and Civic 
Education 
 
¶29. Davie Ngulinga - Deputy Minister of Local Government and 
Rural Development 
 
¶30. Rashid Gaffar - Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural 
Resources 
 
¶31. Binton Kutsaira - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food 
Security 
 
¶32. Sumon Kaunda - Deputy Minister of Home Affairs and 
Internal Security 
 
¶33. Aaron Sangala - Deputy Minister of Women and Child 
Development 
 
¶34. Olive Masanza - Deputy Minister of Education, Science and 
Technology (Primary and Secondary Education) 
 
¶35. Lewis Kadammanja - Deputy Minister of Finance 
 
¶36. Ellock Maotcha Banda - Deputy Minister of Industry and 
Trade 
 
¶37. Gift Mwamondwe - Deputy Minister of Transport, Public 
Works and Housing 
 
¶38. Roy Chizimba - Deputy Minister of Economic Planning and 
Development 
 
¶39. Borniface Cimpokosera - Deputy Minister of Labour 
 
¶40. Felton Mulli - Deputy Minister of Health 
 
¶41. Yunus Mussa - Deputy Minister of Persons with 
Disabilities and the Elderly 
 
¶42. Billy Kaunda - Deputy Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and 
Culture 
GILMOUR