After suddenly firing all his ministers over graft concerns, Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera reappointed most of them into a new cabinet on Wednesday.
Heritage Times had earlier reported that Chakwera sacked his entire 33-member Cabinet on Monday, over graft allegations.
The sack followed weeks of protests and pressure from the civil society demanding action against corruption.
Mr Chakwera, who swept to power in 2020 after a historic election victory, said some of the sacked ministers and government officials had to answer to the graft allegations.
However, a list of 12 ministerial appointments released by his office just after midnight on Wednesday includes only two new faces. Well-known businessman and politician Mark Katsonga Phiri becomes Trade Minister while ruling party loyalist Sam Kawale takes over as Lands Minister.
Kawale replaces Kezzie Msukwa, who was arrested last month for bribery.
Others are Mark Phiri named Trade and Industry Minister, Abida Mia, who takes over the Water and Sanitation portfolio, and Vera Kamtukule to head the Labour docket.
Key portfolios such as Finance, Defence and Foreign Affairs are yet to be announced.
Zangazanga Chikhosi, the President’s spokesperson, said the delay in releasing the full Cabinet list was due to the government’s response efforts to the devastation caused by tropical storm Ana.
The Malawian leader’s move to dissolve his Cabinet has earned him praise from the United States, whose envoy said the US supports “government transparency and access to information” in the fight against corruption.
“We concur with President Chakwera’s call to the citizens of Malawi to play an active role in the ongoing fight against corruption,” US embassy charge d’Affaires in Lilongwe, Jeremy Neitzke, said in a statement.
President Chakwera, who succeeded Peter Mutharika, had campaigned on the promise to end endemic corruption in Malawi and usher in economic revival.
