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Malawi president fires civic education minister

Xinhua, April 6, 2017 Adjust font size:

Malawi President Peter Mutharika has fired minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development, Patricia Kaliati, replacing her with Cecilia Chazama, parliamentarian for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The news was broadcast on the country's public broadcaster, MBC, Thursday morning and it was later confirmed by the Malawi Government official website page.

The reasons for Kaliati's firing have not been given as the page simply reads "President Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika has appointed Hon. Cecilia Chazama as Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Developement. She replaces Hon. Kaliati."

Kaliati, a long time and staunch DPP member worked with former president Bakili Muluzi's United Democratic Front (UDF) government, Late Bingu Mutharika's DPP government and lately with Peter Mutharika's DPP government.

In her political career, Kaliati has headed various ministries, among them Gender, Information, Local Government and recently Civic Education and Community Development.

Kaliati becomes the third cabinet minister to be sacked by Mutharika since December 2016 when the Malawi leader fired Information Minister Malison Ndau.

Later in March 2017 Mutharika sacked his Agriculture Minister, George Chaponda, over his alleged dubious involvement in maize procurement from neighboring Zambia.

Chaponda is another long time and staunch DPP member and like Mutharika, both the fired Agriculture minister and Kaliati come from the south, the Lhomwe Belt which is considered the ruling DPP's bedrock. Enditem