Callista Chimombo
| Madame Callista Mutharika | |
|---|---|
| First Lady of Malawi | |
|
In office 1 May 2010 – 5 April 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | Ethel Mutharika |
| Succeeded by | Richard Banda |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
24 May 1959 Zomba, Nyasaland (now Malawi) |
| Political party | Democratic Progressive Party |
| Spouse(s) | Bingu wa Mutharika (2010-2012) |
Madame Callista Chapola-Chimombo (Callista Mutharika) (born 24 May 1959) is a Malawian politician and the widow of President Bingu wa Mutharika. She served as the First Lady of the Republic of Malawi from 2010 to 2012. Chimombo is a current member of the Cabinet of Malawi as a National Coordinator of Maternal, Infant and Child Health and HIV/Nutrition/Malaria and Tuberculosis. She has also previously served as a member of the Pan-African Parliament, and as the Malawi Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture. As of 2005, she was Secretary of the Malawi Women’s Caucus. Chimombo is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party and a former member of the United Democratic Front (UDF).
In January 2010, following a period of intense speculation, it was announced that Chimombo and President Mutharika were engaged to be married and would marry on 1 May 2010. They got engaged on Valentine's Day 2010 in a traditional ceremony that was broadcast on the news. At one point, Mutharika and Callista displayed their joy by taking it to the dance floor where his children, family members and guests spent almost 20 minutes dancing to an interlude of music that turned the whole event into a frenzy of excitement and jubilation. They were married in a Roman Catholic Church.
She has worked for Joyce Banda's Hunger Project before being involved in politics.
As of 2005, she was Secretary of the Malawi Women’s Caucus. She served as a member of Parliament for Likangala Constituency in the district of Zomba. She also was a member of the Pan-African Parliament and was Minister of Tourism and Culture in Malawi. She became First Lady of Malawi after marrying Bingu wa Mutharika.
After her marriage to Bingu Wa Mutharika, she was the first lady of Malawi until the death of Mutharika on 5 April 2012. Mutharika was a politically vocal first lady. She publicly weighed in on the decision by the DPP to fire the first and second vice-president by stating that Joyce Banda (who had not publicly expressed an interest to run as President) was not qualified to run as president. She stated that Banda's supporters were tantalizing themselves by drawing parallels with Liberian first female President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Some analysts have suggested that she may bid to run for Presidency in 2014.
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