.LUNGU

By DELPHINE ZULU –

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has unveiled his full Cabinet with a call for the appointees to work hard and deliver to people’s expectations.
The President has brought in opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) with MMD Chipangali MP Vincent Mwale appointed Sport, Youth and Child Development minister while his Mwandi MMD counterpart, Michael Kaingu will be Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education minister.
Those dropped from the previous Cabinet are Mwansa Kapeya who was Lands minister, Emmanuel Chenda (Local Government), Wylbur Simuusa (Agriculture) and Robert Sichinga (Commerce).
Kabwata PF MP Given Lubinda is the new Agriculture and Livestock minister, Malole MP Christopher Yaluma retained his position as Mines, Energy and Water Development minister while Roan MP Chishimba
Kambwili is the new Information and Broadcasting Services minister.
Zambezi West PF MP Christabel Ngimbu is the Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection minister while the Ministry of Local Government and Housing portfolio went to former Education minister
John Phiri.
Ms Emerine Kabanshi has bounced back as Community Development, Mother and Child Health Minister with Yamfwa Mukanga retaining his position as Transport, Works, Supply and Communications minister while the new Gender Minister is Professor Nkandu Luo.
Fackson Shamenda also retained his position as Labour and Social Security minister.
“I have not met the Gender minister but I hope she will accept this position. I have appointed so many women capable of delivering and I have to ensure that we have this combination, including the youth
because some of us are old and need to retire, so if Prof Luo accepts this position, then she will be new Gender minister,” Mr Lungu said.
The President also swore in the provincial ministers he appointed on Monday this week, including Central Province Minister Davies Chisopa, Mwenya Musenge for Copperbelt Province and Brigadier-General Benson Kapaya as Luapula Province minister.
Others are Eastern Province Minister Malozo Sichone, Lusaka Province’s Obvious Mwaliteta, Freedom Sikazwe for Northern Province, Mwimba Malama for Muchinga Province to complete the line-up with the already sworn-in North-Western Province Minister Dawson Kafwaya and his Southern Province counterpart Nathaniel Mubukwanu.
The President announced that he would finish appointing deputy ministers and district commissioners before Parliament opens and urged his MPs to take parliamentary debates seriously and contribute from an informed position.
Mr Lungu demanded highest levels of integrity, excellence, discipline, performance and unity of purpose from all those serving in his Government.
He would not hesitate to replace anyone found abrogating the law or conducting themselves in a questionable way because his was a serious Government that needed hardworking and respectable people.
“I have the right to replace anyone serving in my Government if he or she is not doing the right things or are involving themselves in questionable activities. This is like a football team, you are replaced if you fail to perform,” President Lungu said.
The President took long to finish picking his Cabinet because he wanted to ensure that his Government was inclusive and reflected the broad national character for the purpose of unity and balance.
The six women appointed to Cabinet should serve as a lesson to other institutions that have few women representation in order for him to be proud to talk about gender equity in Zambia. President Lungu said during the selection process he had to consult all those that could offer proper advice, including the security wings, in order to have an inclusive Government represented by all, even those who did not vote for him.