Malawi President Takes a Long Hard Look at His Cabinet

President Lazarus Chakwera has dissolved the country’s entire cabinet amid charges of corruption against several ministers, he announced in an address to the nation. Late on Monday, President Chakwera said that he had decided to allow the three ministers and other public officers accused of corruption to face their charges. “I have dissolved my entire cabinet effective immediately, and all the functions of cabinet revert to my office until I announce a reconfigured cabinet in two days,” Chakwera said in a national address. He had been facing increasing rebellion from within the coalition with many of its members accusing his party of corruption, nepotism and pushing the country to the brink of an economic crisis. The reconfigured cabinet will exclude Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa, who was arrested last month in a bribery case. Msukwa is accused of benefitting from land deals involving a UK-based Malawian businessman. The president’s decision came close on the heels of the arrest of three former officials of the former governing party Democratic Progressive Party, which included the former finance minister and central bank governor, touted to be his prime challengers for the election scheduled in 2025.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA