cabinet stability key to govt performance
President John Magufuli yesterday ushered into office two new cabinet ministers and four deputy ministers – changes that were triggered by the ongoing cashew nuts marketing controversy.
Since he was sworn into the highest Office in the land on November 5, 2015, President Magufuli has fired nine cabinet ministers. Only 11 of his first 19 have so far ‘escaped the chop!’
At this rate of cabinet reshuffles, the president holds the record of firing most cabinet ministers in a relatively short period compared with his predecessors at State House.
When swearing-in the new ministers in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Dr Magufuli said he will not hesitate to sack anyone if doing so serves his governance agenda. As Head of State and Government, Magufuli is well within the law to hire and fire at will – always prioritising the national interest.
As he explained, such action underscores his intention to deliver on the promises he made to Tanzanians who put him in power, mandating him to lead them. From the President’s perspective, one would understand why he is so keen to get results from the teams he assembles to drive the development agenda.
But questions will most likely arise over the apparently high sackings rate/frequency – and what this could mean in terms of a stable government based upon cohesiveness and effectiveness in service delivery born of experienced teamwork.
It would be troubling indeed that, three years down the road, ministers – and even their deputies and close aides – seem not to have grasped their chief’s working philosophy, or are not creatively impressive enough to deliver the desired results as a matter of course. In any case, government ministers should now take the cue that only tangible results – not mere rhetoric and praise-singing – would spare them the embarrassment of being sacked in mid-stream.
