• Mwenye

By CHARITY MOONGA –

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has with immediate effect dropped Attorney-General Musa Mwenye from his position.
President Lungu’s move is in pursuant to Article 54 (5) of the Zambian Constitution.
In a letter to Mr Mwenye yesterday, the President thanked him for the services rendered to the nation.
This is contained in a statement released by special assistant for press and public relations Amos Chanda.
In another development, the President has revoked the nomination of former Southern Province minister Daniel Munkombwe as Member of Parliament.
Meanwhile, President Lungu has appointed Major-General David Muma as Deputy Commander of the Zambia Airforce.
“In exercise of the powers vested in me pursuant to the provisions of Article 33(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia and the provisions of the Defence Act, I hereby promote you to the rank and status of Major-General and appoint you as deputy commander in the Zambia Airforce with immediate effect,” President Lungu said in a letter to Gen Muma.
Mr Lungu said he would ensure that his advisory unit at State House and Cabinet were as tribally and gender-balanced as much as possible while maintaining merit as the overriding criteria.
Meanwhile, President Lungu has appointed Hibeene Mwiinga as his special assistant for economic and development affairs.
Mr Lungu has also appointed Sylvia Chalikosa as Zambia’s High Commissioner to Namibia.
Before his appointment, Mr Mwiinga was director – economic affairs – and advisor to the Secretary to the Cabinet while Ms Chalikosa was Zambia’s Deputy High Commissioner to Canada.
Speaking when he swore in the two as well as Nathaniel Mubukwanu as Southern Province Minister, President Lungu was confident that people he was appointing were competent and credible and were appointed purely on merit.
He did not need to search far and wide to appoint people because Zambia had adequate experts in all sectors.
The Head of State urged the newly-appointed officials to avoid any slip-ups or idleness in their course of duty.
“As for the women, there is a woman, Mrs Inonge Wina. I am hoping we will have many more women appointed in Cabinet,” he said.
Mr Lungu said as he leaves the country for the African Union Summit today, Ms Wina would remain as Acting President and urged all Zambians to give her support to ensure success.
President Lungu would announce his full Cabinet when he returns from the African Union Summit in Ethiopia.
He would reappoint some former ministers and pick other new ones.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Ms Wina, Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska and some other senior Government officials.
Ms Chalikosa thanked Mr Lungu for appointing her as High Commissioner to Namibia, saying she would work very hard to consolidate bilateral relations between the two countries and improve on what was already in place.
She urged the rest of the womenfolk in the country to continue working hard and never to give up.
Mr Mubukwanu also thanked Mr Lungu and pledged to work with the people of Southern Province who had already received him well.
Mr Mwiinga in a separate interview also thanked the President and that he was very happy with the appointment.