Bingu wa Mutharika
| Bingu wa Mutharika | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| President of Malawi | |
|
In office 24 May 2004 – 5 April 2012 |
|
| Vice President | |
| Preceded by | Bakili Muluzi |
| Succeeded by | Joyce Banda |
| 8th Chairperson of the African Union | |
|
In office 31 January 2010 – 31 January 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Muammar Gaddafi |
| Succeeded by | Teodoro Obiang Nguema |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ryson Webster Thom 24 February 1934 Thyolo, Nyasaland |
| Died | 5 April 2012 (aged 78) Lilongwe, Malawi |
| Nationality | Malawian |
| Political party | DPP (2005–2012) |
| Other political affiliations |
UDF (Before 2005) |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Relations | Peter Mutharika (brother) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater |
University of Delhi California Miramar University |
| Profession | Economist |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Bingu wa Mutharika (born Brightson Webster Ryson Thom; 24 February 1934 – 5 April 2012) was a Malawian politician and economist who was President of Malawi from May 2004 until his death. He was also President of the Democratic Progressive Party, which he founded in February 2005; it obtained a majority in Malawi's parliament in the 2009 general election. During his two terms in office he was noted for being the Chairperson of the African Union in 2010–2011, as well as for several domestic controversies. In 2009 he purchased a private presidential jet for $13.26 million. This was followed almost immediately by a nationwide fuel shortage which was officially blamed on logistical problems, but was more likely due to the hard currency shortage caused by the freezing of aid by the international community He died of cardiac arrest in Lilongwe while in office on 5 April 2012, at age 78.
Bingu wa Mutharika was born Brightson Webster Ryson Thom on 24 February 1934 in Thyolo. Mutharika's parents, Ryson Thom Mutharika and Eleni Thom Mutharika, were both members of the Church of Scotland Mission which later became Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian. His father was a teacher for 37 years and his mother taught the women of the Mvano group.
Upon completing his primary education at Ulongwe Mission and Chingoli, Mulanje, Ntambanyama, Malamulo, in Thyolo and Henri Henderson Institute in Blantyre, Mutharika obtained a Grade A Cambridge Overseas School Leaving Certificate at Dedza Secondary School in 1956. In 1964, he was one of the 32 Malawians selected by Hastings Kamuzu Banda (President of Malawi 1961–1994) to travel to India on an Indira Gandhi scholarship for 'fast track' diplomas. The BBC reports that he went to India to "escape then President Hastings Banda's crackdown on political opponents". At some point during the 1960s, he also changed his name, to Bingu wa Mutharika. In India, Mutharika earned his bachelor's degree in Economics from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi. Subsequently, he attended the Delhi School of Economics graduating with a M.A. degree in Economics. He later obtained a PhD degree in Development Economics from Pacific Western University. Mutharika also completed short courses on Business Management, Financial Analysis, Trade Promotion, Political Leadership, regional Economic Co-operation and Human Relations.
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