/ 13 January 2002

MULUZI SACKS FINANCE MINISTER

MALAWIAN President Bakili Muluzi sacked his tough talking finance minister and two deputy ministers in a minor cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday. A brief statement issued by Muluzi’s secretary, Alfred Upindi, said finance minister Mathews Chikaonda was replaced by Friday Jumbe, who heads the country’s biggest grain marketing parastatal, the agriculture development and marketing corporation (ADMARC). Upindi did not give reasons why Chikaonda, a charismatic academic who instituted strict economic policies, was sacked. He said Chikaonda, formerly central bank governor, would be assigned other duties which were not specified. Muluzi also dropped from the cabinet deputy agriculture minister Meki Ntewa and deputy transport minister Igbal Omar. – AFP