… as he appoints Colleen Zamba as new Chief Secretary
Mountains and hills have been levelled, the rough grounds have been made low, the rugged places have become smooth. For far too long the Malawi environment has been so hostile to women to attain influential position. Thanks to President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera those days are long gone. Since President Chakwera assumed power women have been elevated to great heights.
President Chakwera will be clocking exactly two years in office this month. In this short period, we have a remarkable progress in women empowerment surpassing any other period in Malawi’s history. We have seen women occupying different influential positions, a thing which was unheard off in the past where women were reduced into mere cheerleaders.
The deserving appointment of Ms. Colleen Zamba as the new Chief Secretary adds to an already sweet story of women empowerment. As the Chief Secretary Ms. Zamba is automatically the head of the civil service. This act in itself is an expression of how far we have become as a country where we regard woman as equally capable as men. There are not many countries in the world who have made tremendous strides the way we are doing. But everything boils down to the political will and acumen in Chakweras leadership.
Ms. Zamba’s appointment as the head of civil service may not be the first as her post was once held by Ms. Hawa Ndilowe before but for the first time in Malawi history the civil service will be headed by women as she will be deputized by an equally powerful woman in Ms. Janet Banda.
In fact, the Clerk of Cabinet who also doubles as Principal Secretary of Presidential Affairs is a woman, Marjorie Shema.
Certainly, this is historic.
There has never been better time in Malawi for a girl child to believe that she can become everything as long as she possesses good qualifications because as much as there is this strong political will to empower women, these appointments are not an act of tokenism, they are merited with sound academic credentials
A girl child in a far corner of Chitipa can now believe that she can become the Zambas of this world. A girl child in Nsanje can believe that she can become the Janet Bandas of this world. A girl child in Mchinji can now believe that it is possible to become the Nancy Tembos of this world. A girl Child in Mangochi can now believe that the only limitation of her becoming the Martha Chizumas of this world is her mind. A girl child of Nkhotakota can dare to believe in the possibilities of becoming the Catherine Gotanis of this world
President Lazarus Chakwera has levelled the playing field for all the qualified women and men to navigate. The playing field has been levelled for women and men to walk side by side in developing this country.
Under Chakwera Malawi has become of age. Women have been dared to believe. What is has often been described as the ‘’world of possibilities’’ has become a reality.