Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has fired Agriculture Minister Lobin Lowe and his deputy Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima over “incompetence and gross negligence” in a televised address to the nation.
President Chakwera, theologian and politician has served as President of Malawi since June 2020
The President described how Lowe allegedly failed to supply Malawi’s 3.3 million smallholder farmers with inputs and fertiliser from the Affordable Imputs Programme (AIP).
The president outlined in detail the alleged fraud committed in the ministry, including how a British agent was used to secure fertilizer for the programme, but was not properly vetted.
The agent was paid 725,000 euros in two installments “without any credible evidence that this company had any credibility to secure fertiliser,” said Chakwera, adding, “The supplier’s capacity turned out to be without merit.”
The ex-minister of Agriculture and his deputy have not commented on the accusations.
The president has since appointed Sam Kawale, formerly the lands minister, to replace Mr Lowe.
The president promised his nation that more changes in his cabinet would be coming in due course.
Since coming into power President Chakwera became subject to criticism over appointing mutually related family members to cabinet. Chakwera’s 31 member cabinet announced after inauguration had six members all of whom are relatives with another member of the cabinet.