Mines, Industry and Energy: Gabriel MbegaObiang LimaLabour and Social Security: Miguel AbiaBiteo BoricoAgriculture and Forestry: Miguel OyonoNdong MifumuInformation, Press and Radio: Agustin NseNfumuSocial Affairs and Promotion of Women:Maria Leonor Epam BiribeFisheries and the Environment: CrescencioTamarite CastanoPublic Service and Administrative Reform:Purificacion Buari LasaquerosYouth and Sports: Francisco PascualObama Asue(http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com 24 ⁄ 5)

THE GAMBIAInterior Minister Dismissed

Opposition dissatisfaction over theflawed elections rumbles on.

President Yahya Jammeh removed hisInterior Minister, Lamin Kaba Bajo, onMay 8th. According to a statementfrom the presidency, Mr. Bajo will beredeployed to the country’s foreign ser-vices. He spent less than a month inthe Interior Ministry and no specificreason was advanced for his removal.Before becoming minister, Bajo wasGambia’s ambassador to Morocco.

Mr. Ousman Sonko was appointed inhis place as Minister of Interior witheffect from May 7th. Sonko had servedas Gambia’s Interior Minister untilFebruary when he was dropped andmoved to the foreign service.

Meanwhile, Mai Ahmed Fatty, the lea-der of opposition Gambia Moral Con-gress (GMC), has called for electoralreform in the country as a basis for theholding of ‘‘free and fair’’ elections.

In an interview with PANA, Fattyargued that Gambia’s electoral bodyhad failed to create the conducive envi-ronment for a free and fair elections asthe ruling party was given an unfairadvantage over all other parties.

He said that the various oppositionparties had devised a new strategy withthe creation of ‘‘the Group of Six’’,which consists of six major oppositionparties, which will henceforth coordi-nate their affairs towards ensuring elec-toral reforms.

He called on all Gambians to cometogether by pooling their resources andtalents towards challenging what hecalled ‘‘the dictatorial regime’’ of theruling APRC government, headed byPresident Jammeh. He claimed the elec-tion was stolen as the IndependentElectoral Commission could not pre-vent the ruling party from engagingin many alleged irregularities. (PANA,Dakar 30 ⁄ 4;8 ⁄ 5)

GUINEA BISSAUPrime Minister Agreed

The military hand over power to atransitional team.

Guinea Bissau’s interim leader ManuelSerifo Nhamadjo has named Rui DuarteBarros as Prime Minister of a transitiongovernment after the coup in April.

Duarte Barros, an economist, is a for-mer leader of the West African Eco-nomic and Monetary Union(UEMOA), and is a former financeminister close to opposition leaderKumba Yala of the Social RenovationParty (PRS).

His nomination comes after putschistsand 35 political parties signed an agree-ment, in front of diplomats in Bissau,on a transition period of one year untilfresh elections are held.

The former ruling African Party for theIndependence of Guinea and Cape-Verde (PAIGC) which was ousted bysoldiers on April 12th, did not sign theagreement.

The coup aborted an election processin which ex-prime minister Carlos Go-mes was the favourite to win.

A 27-member cabinet was appointed onMay 22nd, which includes putschistCol. Celestino Carvalho as DefenceMinister.

On May 19th, the country’s junta, par-liament and a group of political partiessigned a roadmap aimed at ending thecrisis created by the coup. The five-page document was signed by interimparliament speaker Braima Sori Djalo,the junta’s top leader and 25 parties,including the PRS, which was the mainopposition party before the coup.

Democratic Republic of Congo

New Cabinet

The official portal of the president’s officeon April 28th announced the new cabinetunder Prime Minister Matata Ponyo asfollows:

Head of State: President Joseph Kabila

Prime Minister: Matata Ponyo

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for theBudget: Daniel Mukoko Samba

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister ofNational Defence and War Veterans: Al-exandre Luba Ntambo

Ministers

Foreign Affairs, International Cooperationand Francophone Affairs: Raymond Tshi-banda

Interior, Security and Decentralisation andCustomary Affairs: Richard Muyej Man-gez

Justice and Human Rights: Mme WivineMumba Matipa

Media, in charge of Relations with Parlia-ment and Initiation into a New Citizen-ship: Lambert Mende Omalanga

Planning and Implementation of the Revo-lution of Modernity: Celestin VunabandiKanyamihigo

Portfolio: Mme Louise Munga Mesozi

Economy and Trade: Jean Paul NemoyatoBegepole

Territorial Development, Town Planning,Housing, Infrastructure, Public Works andReconstruction: Fridolin Kasweshi

Transport and Communication Pathways:Justin Kalumba Mwana Ngongo

Environment, Nature Conservation andTourism: Bavon N’sa Mputu Elima

Mines: Martin Kabwelulu

Hydraulic Resources and Electricity:Bruno Kapanji Kalala

Hydrocarbons: Crispin Atama Tabe

Industry, Small and Medium-Sized Enter-prises: Remy Musungayi Bampale

Posts, Telecommunications and new Infor-mation and Communication Technologies:Triphon Kin Kiey Mulumba

Employment, Labour and Social Security:Modeste Bahati Lukwebo

Public Health: Felix Kabane Numbi Mu-kwampa

Higher and University Education and Sci-entific Research: Chelo Lotsima

Primary, Secondary and Professional Edu-cation: Maker Mwangu Famba

Agriculture and Rural Development: JeanChrisostome Vahamwiti Mukesyayira

Property and Land Affairs: RobertMbwinga Bila

Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action andNationalSolidarity:CharlesNawejMundele

Gender, Family and Children: Mrs Gene-vieve Inagosi

Civil Service: Jean Claude Kibala

Youth, Sports, Culture and Arts: BanzaMukalayi Nsungu

(presidentrdc.cd ⁄ 28 ⁄ 4) New Prime Minis-ter p. 19225A

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The transitional government is as fol-lows:

President: Manuel Serifo NhamadjoPrime Minister: Rui Duarte de BarrosMinistersAgriculture and Fisheries: Malam ManeDefence and War Veterans: Celestino deCarvalhoEconomy and Regional Integration: DegolMendesFinance: Abubacar Demba DahabaForeign Affairs, International Cooperationand Communities: Faustino Fadut ImbaliInfrastructure: Fernando GomesInterior: Antonio Suka NtchamaJustice: Mamadu Saido BaldeEducation, Youth, Culture, and Sports: Vi-cente PunguraNatural Resources and Energy: Daniel Go-mesPresidency of the Council of Ministers,Social Communication and ParliamentaryAffairs: Fernando VazPublic Health and Social Security: Agostin-ho CaPublic Service, Labour and State Reform:Carlos VamainTerritorial Administration and Local Power:Batista TeTrade, Industry, and Valorisation of LocalProduce : Abubacar Balde(� AFP 16,23 ⁄ 5 2012; http://www.timeslive.co.za 22 ⁄ 5)

TANZANIAMinisterial Reshuffle

Six ministers are dismissed overincompetency claims.

President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete re-shuffled his cabinet on May 4th, drop-ping six ministers and two deputyministers. This followed week-longpressure from both ruling party andopposition MPs following their accusa-tion in parliament of being irresponsi-ble in managing public funds eitherdirectly in their ministries or in institu-tions falling under their charge.

Those dismissed are Mustafa Mkullo(Finance); Hadji Mponda (Health andSocial Welfare); William Ngeleja(Energy and Minerals); Ezekiel Maige(Natural Resources and Tourism);Omari Nundu (Transport), and CyrilChami (Industry, Trade and Marketing).

Kikwete has appointed WilliamMgimwa as Finance minister, Prof. Sos-peter Muhongo as Minister for Energyand Minerals, and Harrison Mwa-kyembe as Minister for Transport.

The new Natural Resources and Tour-ism Minister is Khamis Kagasheki, for-merly Deputy Minister for HomeAffairs; Dr Abdallah Kigoda goes toIndustry and Trade and Dr HusseinMwinyi takes on the Health and SocialWelfare portfolio.

President Kikwete told a news confer-ence at the State House in Dar esSalaam that he had decided to makethe changes upon receiving a report onthe heated debate in the NationalAssembly during the April sitting inDodoma, where seven ministers werestrongly accused of being irresponsible,resulting in the country losing billionsof shillings through malpractice, includ-ing embezzlement and outright theft.

By appointing Prof Mark Mwandosya asminister without portfolio there are now30 cabinet ministers instead of the previ-ous 29, while the number of deputy min-isters is now 25 instead of the previous21, thus bringing the entire cabinet to 55compare to the previous 50.

Kikwete has also promoted ChristopherChiza from deputy to full minister atthe Ministry of Agriculture, Food Secu-rity and Cooperatives, as well as Dr Fe-nella Mukangara, who will now headthe Ministry of Information, Youth,Culture and Sports. The president alsoswapped nine ministers, saying thechanges were aimed at improving per-formance and accountability. (TheGuardian website, Dar es Salaam 5 ⁄ 5; PANA4 ⁄ 5)

The new cabinet, which was sworn inon May 7th, is as follows:

Head of State: President Jakaya MrishoKikwetePrime Minister: Mizengo PindaPresident’s OfficeMinister of State (Civil Society Relationsand Coordination): Stephen WasiraMinister of State (Good Governance):George Mkuchika +Minister of State (Public Service Manage-ment): Celina Kombani +Vice President’s OfficeMinister of State (Union Affairs): Samia H.SuluhuMinister of State (Environment): TerezyaP.L. HuvisaPrime Minister’s OfficeMinister of State (Investments and CapacityBuilding): Mary Nagu

Minister of State (Regional Administration):Hawa Ghasia +Minister of State (Policy, Coordination andParliamentary Affairs): William V. LukuviMinistersEast African Cooperation: Samuel J. SittaDefence and National Service: Shamsi VuaiNahodha +Works: John P. MagufuliHealth and Social Welfare: Hussein A. H.MwinyiEducation and Vocational Training: Shuk-uru J. KawambwaCommunity Development, Gender andChildren: Sophia M. SimbaForeign Affairs and International Coopera-tion: Bernard K. MembeConstitutional Affairs and Justice: MathiasM. Chikawe +Home Affairs: Emmanuel Nchimbi +Livestock Development and Fisheries:David Mathayo DavidLabour and Employment: Gaudentia M.KabakaCommunications, Science and Technology:Makame M. MbarawaLands, Housing and Human Settlements:Anna K. TibaijukaWater: Jumanne Maghembe +Minister without Portfolio: Mark Mwando-sya +Agriculture, Food and Cooperatives: Chris-topher ChizaTransport: Harrison MwakyembeInformation, Youth, Culture and Sports:Fenella E. MukangaraNatural Resources and Tourism: KhamisKagashekiIndustries and Trade: Abdallah O. KigodaFinance: William MgimwaEnergy and Minerals: Sospeter Muhongo+ reshuffled(PANA, Dar es Salaam 7 ⁄ 5) Constitutionreview p. 19232A

CONSTITUTIONALCHANGES

MALAWIHomophobic Law Rethink

The new president vows to repeal aban on homosexual acts.

Malawi faced international condemna-tion in 2010 for the conviction and 14-year prison sentences given to two menwho were arrested after celebrating theirengagement and were charged withunnatural acts and gross indecency.

The previous president, Bingu waMutharika, who died in office in April,pardoned the couple. But he said it wason ‘‘humanitarian grounds only’’ andinsisted they had ‘‘committed a crimeagainst our culture, against our reli-gion, and against our laws’’.

New President Joyce Banda’sannouncement in her first state of thenation address is one of several stepsshe has taken to break with the admin-istration of her predecessor.

South Africa

Minister Dies

Public Service and Administration Minis-ter, Roy Padayachie, died of a heartattack in Addis Ababa on May 5th,where he had gone to attend an AfricanUnion (AU) meeting, the Ethiopian gov-ernment said on May 5th.

Padayachie, 62, collapsed at Addis Ab-aba airport and died later in the Shera-ton Hotel. His body was flown back toSouth Africa the following day.

Radhakrishna Lutchmana ‘‘Roy’’ Pa-dayachie joined the ruling AfricanNational Congress (ANC) in 1972. Achemist by training, he had held variousposts in the government since 2004, nota-bly in the communications and publicservice and administration ministries.(� AFP 5 ⁄ 5 2012)

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