This is childish and amateurish! State House communications team has again embarrassed the presidency with some more careless comments on the expected new cabinet by President Lazarus Chakwera.
First, without any pressure from anyone, Presidential Press Secretary Brian Banda told the Monday State House weekly briefing two weeks ago that President Chakwera was going to announce his new cabinet ‘within the next 48 hours’.
Then after 48 hours, there was no cabinet. Shame.
“The President is reviewing some recommendations on the new cabinet which have just been delivered by the Vice President,” said Banda, pushing the blame on the Vice President Saulos Chilima as the one delaying the release of the cabinet.
For the record, the Constitution empowers only the PRESIDENT to hire and fire cabinet without even giving reasons.
Again without any pressure from anyone, the State House communications team was at it again on Monday saying President Chakwera was working on a new cabinet with Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Zangazanga Chikhosi!
Now now, from delayed reports from Vice President now to discussing cabinet appointments with a mere SPC?
In case you may have missed this earlier, the Constitution gives mandate to the PRESIDENT to hire and fire cabinet ministers (sections 94 and 95).
State House Director of Communications Sean Kampondeni disclosed on Monday during state house press briefing in Lilongwe that ‘The president is meeting with the secretary to the president and the cabinet on the cabinet matter’ and that ‘The President is not making any comment on the cabinet until he is ready to address the nation on the same.’
In the same breath, Banda said the constitution gives power to the President to fire and hire ministers at will.
“Now why are these boys making all these statements about the President waiting for recommendations from Vice President on the new cabinet and meeting SPC on the new cabinet?
“Are these boys consulting the President before making these statements or they just wake up and say these things? This is childish, amateurish and totally embarrassing coming from a communications team at State House,” said a communications guru at Capital Hill.
This publication cannot agree more with the observations by the communications guru.
