Zambian president to create four more ministries

Zambian President Edgar Lungu said Tuesday he would be creating four new ministries to help realign portfolios in order to enhance service delivery.

Lungu said he would soon announce the new ministries which will, however, be subject to ratification by the National Assembly.

While swearing in new ministers at the State House, Lungu said Zambia had abundant water resources and that water shortages should be addressed adequately, hence the need to create a ministry specifically for this purpose.

The Zambian leader further said housing will be realigned to infrastructure development to address the housing challenges the country was facing, adding that it was unfortunate that many people were still living in substandard houses 50 years after the country's independence.

Lungu, who was declared winner of last month's disputed election, has already angered some by creating a ministry for religious affairs, with critics saying there was no need for such a ministry when the country had adequate religious bodies.

Stakeholders believe that there was no need to create more ministries when the country was trying to embark on fiscal discipline and reduce expenditures.

The constitution allows the country's president to name 30 ministers, and so far he has announced 16. Endi