By Edwin Mauluka
President Peter Mutharika, who is yet to unveil his full cabinet, has pledged to maintain a lean team and called on Malawians to “work hard” to rebuild the country.
He made the remarks upon his arrival in Lilongwe — his first trip to the capital since winning the September 16, 2025, elections — ahead of the 52nd Session of Parliament, which he will officially open on Friday to mark the start of the First Meeting of the National Assembly and the 2025/2026 Mid-Term Budget Review.
“The cabinet shall be very lean,” Mutharika told the cheering crowd. “I know there are many people who expect to be included, but this may not be the case now because we can’t take in everyone.”
The president emphasized accountability, warning that underperformance would not be tolerated. “If they fail to perform their duties well, I will fire and replace them with someone else,” he said. “I am not joking.”
Mutharika, who reclaimed the presidency after defeating incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, said his administration’s focus would be to steer the nation out of the economic difficulties of the past five years.
“We are now in government, and the next phase is to begin the work — work, work, work,” he said. “Everyone must roll up their sleeves and work, work, work.”
Expressing gratitude for his electoral support, Mutharika said he was “humbled” by the central region’s strong backing. “Thank you for giving me seven hundred thousand votes,” he told the crowd, waving as they chanted his name.
The president said he would announce the final lineup of his cabinet next week, adding that his immediate priority was to tackle hunger. “Food distribution has already begun in Machinga District,” he said. “And on Friday, the country will start receiving maize we bought from Zambia. This maize shall be distributed for free to all affected families in every district.”
Food insecurity, coupled with high living costs, fuel shortages, and depleted foreign reserves, were among the major issues that influenced voter decisions in last month’s polls.
Mutharika first served as president from 2014 to 2019 before losing to Chakwera in the 2020 court-ordered re-run that annulled his earlier victory over electoral irregularities.
