Hichilema swears in 24 Cabinet ministers as Laura Miti and opposition leaders question 30-ministry government
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Local News7Hichilema swears in 24 Cabinet ministers as Laura Miti and opposition leaders question 30-ministry government President Hakainde Hichilema has appointed and sworn in 24 Cabinet ministers and ten provincial ministers at State House in Lusaka, putting most of his second-term…
7Hichilema swears in 24 Cabinet ministers as Laura Miti and opposition leaders question 30-ministry government
President Hakainde Hichilema has appointed and sworn in 24 Cabinet ministers and ten provincial ministers at State House in Lusaka, putting most of his second-term government in place a day after the National Assembly approved his plan to raise the number of ministries to 30.
The appointments, made under Article 116(1) and Article 117(1) of the Constitution, fill new portfolios for Electricity, Petroleum, Industry, Trade and Exports, Skills and Higher Education, and Culture and Arts. They come as human rights activist Ms Laura Miti, Socialist Party president Dr Fred M’membe and the Citizens First party question why government is growing while programmes serving rural Zambians are under financial strain.
The biggest economic appointment went to Ms Brenda Tambatamba, who takes over the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development. She served as labour minister in the President’s first-term Cabinet and, before entering politics, worked as sustainability manager at Barrick’s Lumwana mine.
Ms Tambatamba now leads a sector the government wants to expand to three million metric tonnes of copper a year, close to triple current output.
The former Ministry of Energy, now split in two, is handed to two men who have both run it before. Mr Peter Kapala, energy minister from 2021 to 2024, heads the new Ministry of Electricity. Mr Makozo Chikote, who succeeded him in that role, takes the new Ministry of Petroleum.
Two familiar faces also return. Mr Felix Mutati, formerly in charge of technology, is back at the Ministry of Technology and Science, while former education minister Mr Douglas Syakalima leads the new Ministry of Skills and Higher Education. President Hichilema first nominated both to Parliament, and Speaker Nelly Mutti swore them in as Members before their appointment.
The new trade and industry structure goes to Dr Caroline Katotobwe at the Ministry of Trade and Exports and Mr Noel Nkoma, former board chairperson of the National Road Fund Agency, at the Ministry of Industry. Lackson Sichone takes Small and Medium Enterprise Development.
Ms Princess Kasune becomes Minister of Tourism, Chris Chibuye leads the new Ministry of Culture and Arts, and Likando Mufalali takes Youth and Sports.
Security portfolios went to Ambrose Lufuma at Defence and Dr Clement Andaleki at Home Affairs and Internal Security. Moses Moyo heads Agriculture, Olive Chibola takes Fisheries and Livestock, and Patrick Mucheleka leads the new Ministry of Lands.
Collins Nzovu moves to Infrastructure and Urban Development, while former Copperbelt Minister Elisha Matambo takes Water Development and Sanitation. Elvis Nkandu becomes Minister of Information and Media and Harry Kamboni takes Education.
Gift Sialubalo returns to Local Government and Rural Development. Jack Mwiimbu moves to Justice, Misheck Nyambose takes Labour and Social Security, and Sheal Mulyata heads Community Development and Social Services.
The list completes a Cabinet the Head of State began building in September, when he named Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane to Finance and National Planning, Mulambo Haimbe to Foreign Affairs, Dr Gilbert Siame to Green Economy and Environment and Prof Roma Chilengi to Health.
The schedule released on Wednesday names no minister for Housing or for Transport and Logistics.
In the provinces, Mwabashike Nkulukusa takes Central, Emmanuel Kasambo Copperbelt, Obvious Mwaliteta Lusaka and Lesley Mulwanda Luapula. Jairos Simbeye is Muchinga Minister, Wedden Chileshe takes Northern and Robert Lihefu North-Western.
Edgar Singombe goes to Southern Province, Kapelwa A. Mbangweta to Western and Yamikani Phiri to Eastern.
Addressing the new team after the swearing-in, Mr Hichilema told them to uphold the Constitution, respect the rule of law and serve every Zambian without discrimination. He said any minister who blocks or delays investment would be treated as guilty of bad behaviour in Cabinet.
The President said government must work inside the law, and amend it through Parliament where it stands in the way, rather than break it.
“We stay within the law. We operate within the law,” he said.
He singled out the Social Cash Transfer, the Farmer Input Support Programme and the Food Security Pack, directing that anyone who meets the criteria must receive support wherever they live. Mr Hichilema said he was aware of distortions in how social support had been distributed and had confronted those responsible.
He also told the ministers to keep Cabinet matters confidential and to uphold individual and collective responsibility, fairness, transparency and accountability.
The new structure cleared Parliament on Tuesday, when Vice-President Mutale Nalumango, Leader of Government Business, moved the motion to establish, merge and dissolve ministries. Five ministries were dissolved: Energy; Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development; Commerce, Trade and Industry; Lands and Natural Resources; and Youth, Sport and Arts. Ten new ones replace them.
Mrs Nalumango told the House that changing energy demand required dedicated ministries for Electricity and Petroleum. The country needed “a ministry that will be looking at innovative ways of continuous generation and transmission,” she said.
She described Culture and Arts as an economic sector able to attract tourists and create jobs. Mr Mwiimbu, then speaking as Monze East Member of Parliament, backed the motion as consistent with the Grow Zambia Agenda, and a majority of lawmakers voted it through.
Outside the House, the reception was colder. Ms Miti said she was disappointed by the expansion and questioned why government was creating ministries for Petroleum, Industry and Culture while the Constituency Development Fund was reportedly facing reductions and the Food Reserve Agency could not buy all the maize farmers had on offer.
She mocked the scale of the restructuring.
“I am surprised there is no Ministry of Ministers,” Ms Miti said.
The activist said she wanted to know how rural voters, whom she credited with returning the government to office, would benefit, noting that the CDF and FRA had both been cut back.
Before the appointments, Ms Miti had urged the President to choose ministers focused on delivering services to rural Zambia rather than rewarding allies. She made a specific appeal on senior civil service posts, asking him “do not use the Permanent Secretary position to reward political friends.”
Dr M’membe said the move to 30 ministries showed the UPND administration was out of touch with the hardship ordinary Zambians face. The country needed a lean and efficient government, he said, and could be run with no more than ten Cabinet portfolios.
Party of National Unity and Progress leader Highvie Hamududu took the opposite view, defending the expansion and saying the additional cost of moving to 30 ministries was minimal.
Citizens First spokesperson Stanley Mhango said the restructuring would swell a public service wage bill he described as already bloated. He said government could not claim to be merging ministries while increasing their number.
“You merge to reduce wage bill, but you increase to blow the wage bill,” Mr Mhango said.
He warned that the wage bill, which he put at 51 per cent, could climb to between 55 and 60 per cent, leaving nothing for development. Mr Mhango also said 70 new constituencies had been created without funding, and that the changes were announced without public consultation.
President Hichilema wished all the ministers well as they took up their duties. Their first major test arrives on 6 November, when government presents the 2027 national budget, the first spending plan the expanded 30-ministry structure will have to fit inside.
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