Gangata (top) switched portfolios with Wiskes (centre)
* As President Mutharika appoints retired corporate executive Simon Itaye as Minister of Industrialisation, Business, Trade & Tourism — replacing George Partridge
* Partridge was moved to become the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) on January 23
By Duncan Mlanjira
Alfred Gangata, who was first appointed as Minister of State soon after President Arthur Peter Mutharika was sworn in as President last October, before being moved to become Minister of Natural Resources at the beginning of the New Year, has once again been shifted to the Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture.
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A public notice from Chief Secretary in the office of the President & Cabinet, Justin Saidi released today, January 31, 2026, indicates that Gangata has switched portfolios with Patricia Wiskes.
President Mutharika has also appointed retired corporate executive Simon Itaye as Minister of Industrialisation, Business, Trade & Tourism — replacing George Patridge. Itaye is a financial specialist and strategist with over 35 years’ experience in the private sector specialising in strategic general management.
Simon Itaye
Partridge was amongst appointees in Mutharika’s first Cabinet appointments was recently appointed Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), replacing Mafuta Mwale. The new Governor previously worked at the Central Bank rising to the position of Director before serving as group chief executive officer of Press Corporation Limited — Malawi’s largest conglomerate with investments in banking, telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, and tourism.
Partridge
In his first Cabinet reshuffle early this month, President Mutharika made some changes which included scrapping off the Minister of State portfolio that was held by Gangata by moving him to Natural Resources — a post that was created after taking it out of the incorporated portfolio of Minister of Natural Resources, Energy & Mining that was held by Jean Mathanga.
Mathanga retained her Energy & Mining portfolio as the President added Chipiliro Mpinganjira as Gangata’s deputy in Natural; Edgar Tembo as Deputy to Minister of Industrialisation, Business, Trade & Tourism and Thoko Tembo as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation & Water Development.
Chimwemwe Chipungu, who was appointed as Deputy Minister of Health, was elevated to Minister of Lands, Housing & Urban Development, a post held by Jappie Mhango, who was moved to Transport & Public Works — replacing Feston Kaupa, who was appointed as Minister of Defence.
President Mutharika
Another new appointment included Charles Chilambula as Deputy to Minister of Heath & Sanitation, Madalitso Baloyi while the rest of the portfolios remained unchanged — led by the President as Commander in Chief of the Malawi Armed Forces, First Vice-President Jane Ansah and Second Vice-Vice President Enock Chihana.
The other posts are Joseph Mwanamveka as Minister of Finance, Economic Planning & Development; George Chaponda (Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation); Roza Mbilizi (Agriculture, Irrigation & Water Development); Bright Msaka (Education, Science & Technology; Ben Malunga Phiri (Local Government & Rural Development); Mary Navicha (Gender, Children, Disability & Social Welfare — whose deputy is Martha Ngwira.
Others are Shadrick Namalomba (Information & Communications Technology); lawyer Charles Mhango (Justice & Constitutional Affairs); former Inspector General of Police, Peter Mukhito (Homeland Security, whose deputy is Norman Chisale for Operations) and Joel Chigona maintaining as Minister of Labour Skills & Innovation).
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