Professor Mutharika said this at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Friday July 21, 2017 during swearing-in ceremony for the four newly appointed Ministers.
On 17th July this year, President Mutharika reshuffled his cabinet by roping in new faces like Anna Kachikho who is new Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development; Everton Chimulirenji appointed as Deputy Minister of Defense, and Clement Mukumbwa who is Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare.
Aggrey Masi, who was Deputy Minister of Agriculture, is now Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining.
In his speech, President Mutharika said serving in a cabinet requires one to be active saying a Minister should always keep the ground moving through serving the public diligently.
He said he decided to reshuffle cabinet for efficient delivery of government services to the public.
“In exercising your duty, I urge you to put forward the aspirations and needs of the people. These aspirations are constantly changing with time. This means you must be listening leaders. Always listen to the needs of the people,” he said.
“I must also underscore the importance of working as a team. The Cabinet works on the principle of collective responsibility. As Cabinet, we serve one nation under one leader and we speak one language. We defend the same policies and deliver the same programmes with collective efficiency,” he added.
Mutharika took a tough stance on corruption, branding it as an evil act and asked the new Ministers to refrain from corrupt practices.
"My stand on corruption has not changed. Whether it is in Government, in religious circles, in civil society organisations, in the media or in the private sector, corruption is an evil that must be fought collectively. Corruption will not be successfully fought through finger-pointing. We all must own the fight against corruption. In one of the African countries they have a slogan: A corruption-free country begins with me. You cannot fight corruption by politicising it," he warned.
The Malawi leader added that Ministers should serve the public with integrity as well as discipline and should always listen to the needs of the people because they serve above everyone else.
Speaking to the press after taking her oath of allegiance, Anna Kachikho – who is the legislator, said she never expected seeing herself in cabinet.
“The appointment took me by surprise because I thought my days of serving as a cabinet Minister were over.
“The President surprised me and I will also surprise him by delivering quality services. My appoint demonstrates that perseverance is rewarding because I served diligently and the President was noticing my work, that is why I am here,” Kachikho said.
