Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10LUSAKA5
2010-01-06 14:37:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Lusaka
Cable title:  

BANDA DEMOTES AGRICULTURE MINISTER

Tags:  PGOV EAGR ZA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1724
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHLS #0005 0061437
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 061437Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7539
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
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)

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