BANDA DEMOTES AGRICULTURE MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L LUSAKA 000005 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/S LAYLWARD E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/31/2020 TAGS: PGOV EAGR ZA SUBJECT: BANDA DEMOTES AGRICULTURE MINISTER Classified By: Ambassador Donald E. Booth for reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a move possibly meant to beef up State House control of agriculture policy, President Banda demoted the effective, competent Agriculture Minister Brian Chituwo to the relatively inconsequential Ministry of Science, Technology, and Vocational Training (MSTV) and put the lackluster Minister of Lands Peter Daka in charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MACO). Chituwo was a short-lived candidate for the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Party's presidential nomination in 2008 who may still harbor presidential ambitions. Daka, who hails from Banda's home province, has done little to distinguish himself at the Ministry of Lands, and is likely to defer to former Agriculture Minister and State House advisor Ben Kapita on important agricultural issues. By reassigning Chituwo to the MSTV, Banda marginalized a potential presidential rival and gained more personal control over politically useful fertilizer subsidy and crop purchase programs. Chituwo's departure from MACO could make our engagement with the GRZ on policy issues key to a successful Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative (GHFSI) more difficult. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) On January 4, President Banda shuffled his Cabinet, moving Brian Chituwo from the key Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MACO) to the less important Ministry of Science, Technology, and Vocational Training (MSTV). Banda also reassigned the less dynamic and more malleable Minister of Lands Peter Daka to the Ministry of Agriculture. Chituwo replaced former Minister of Science and Technology Gabriel Namulambe, who was sacked on January 3 reportedly for making statements that reflected negatively on Banda's presidency. ¶3. (C) While by all accounts Chituwo effectively carried out his remit, as the personal physician and blood relative of the late President Levy Mwanawasa, Chituwo's loyalty to Banda was always in question. He threw his hat in the MMD ring as a rival to Banda for the 2008 presidential by-election. While he was one of the first MMD presidential aspirants to bow out of the running, Chituwo could still harbor presidential ambitions. By moving Chituwo to Ministry of Science and Technology, Banda took away a high-profile platform from which to potentially launch a presidential bid and placed him under the watchful eye (and perhaps shadow) of Banda's friend and confidante MSTV permanent secretary Sherry Thole. ¶4. (C) Banda increased State House influence over agricultural issues by installing Daka, a somewhat milquetoast Banda loyalist from the president's home province, Eastern. Daka has done little to distinguish himself in Banda's cabinet, and he is reported to harbor no presidential ambmitions. With Daka in the Minister's chair, influential presidential advisor and former Minister of Agriculture Ben Kapita will likely exert more control over agricultural policies and programs, including the politically popular Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) and Food Reserve Agency (FRA) government commodity purchase program, shoring up vital political support. Putting the relatively ineffectual Daka in charge of Agriculture will allow Banda to more closely control the largesse in the subsidy programs to attempt to consolidate his support among MMD voters and ward off any potential intra-MMD challengers. Sidelining Chituwo removes a potential political obstacle in a key ministry and neutralizes him as a potential presidential rival. ¶5. (C) Chituwo was a competent and effective interlocutor on agricultural issues. With Daka now installed at MACO, Embassy Lusaka may have a more difficult time engaging the ministry on GHFSI policy issues. Chituwo seemed committed to meaningful sectoral reform, including to curbing the impact and scope of the market-distorting FISP and FRA. As a Banda lackey, Daka may be more likely to allow Banda to use Ministry programs to feather his political nest in the run up to 2011 national and presidential elections and less dedicated to creating a policy environment conducive to market-based, private sector-led agricultural growth -- a key to a successful GHFSI program in Zambia. BOOTH