Ethel Mutharika
| Madame Ethel Mutharika | |
|---|---|
| First Lady of Malawi | |
|
In office 24 May 2004 – 28 May 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Patricia Shanil Muluzi |
| Succeeded by | Callista Chimombo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
c. 1944 Zimbabwe |
| Died | 28 May 2007 (aged c. 63) Lilongwe |
| Nationality | Malawian |
| Political party | United Democratic Front (Malawi) |
| Spouse(s) | Bingu wa Mutharika (37 years) |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Ndata Farm (private) |
| Profession | school teacher |
Madame Ethel Mutharika (c. 1944 – 28 May 2007) was the First Lady of Malawi and wife of the President of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika. Madam Mutharika was born in Zimbabwe. As First Lady, wa Mutharika was known for her charitable work and had established the Ethel Mutharika Foundation in an effort to help the poor of Malawi. wa Mutharika died in Lilongwe after a long battle with cancer at the age of 63.
Mutharika was born in Zimbabwe. She had been married to President Bingu wa Mutharika for 37 years. The couple had four children together.
Madam Mutharika was given an official state funeral. Her body was laid in state at the New State House in Lilongwe. Her body was then moved to the cities of Mzuzu on 2 June and Blantyre on 5 June. Her funeral took place at the Mutharikas farm in Thyolo, a tea growing district in southern Malawi.Following her death it was revealed that she had received cancer treatments in Malawi, South Africa and France, as well as a number of other European and Asian nations.
Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe, led the retinue of foreign dignitaries, who also included Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Zambian President Rupiah Banda, Botswana and Zambian First Ladies, Mozambican Prime Minister Aires Ali, Swazi Deputy Prime Minister, former Taiwanese Prime Minister, COMESA Secretary-General Sindiso Ndema Ngwenya, ambassadors from Nigeria, Norway and South Africa, Kenyan cabinet ministers and the Zambian-based Chewa King Gawa Undi as well as hundreds of government and ruling party officials and local Malawians. Clergy at the First Lady's funeral called on the country's political leaders to unite in order to honour Mutharika. The ceremony was a rare occasion which brought together political leaders that do not normally see eye to eye. In his sermon, based Luke 13: 6 - 9, Reverend Reynold Mangisa said it was high time political leaders changed and carried on with the unity started by the First Lady's death. "The unity should not end with the mourning period, but we should see it continue," said the priest. Leader of Opposition, John Tembo, who spoke on behalf of the opposition political parties, said the death of Madam Mutharika, which he described a tragedy since it robbed Malawi of the mother of the nation, should serve as a symbol of unity for now and forever. "It is necessary that as a country we be united over this loss and that the unity continues thereafter as that is what is expected of us," Tembo said. Reverend Felix Chingota's eulogy added that Mutharika emulated Jesus and described Mutharika as Jesus who was difficult to be understood by people because of having vision.
...
Wikipedia