Chikaonda laid to rest with moving eulogies: ‘Made great economic contributions to Malawi’
Former Cabinet minister and corporate executive Mathews Chikaonda, who died on October 30 in United States of America (USA), has been hailed as an asset to Malawi and that he will always be cherished for his contributions to the country’s economy.
President Peter Mutharika expressed grief and sorrow over Chikaonda’s demise and delivered his eulogy thorugh Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Samuel Tembenu at the burial ceremony at Tembetembe Village, Traditional Authority Kachindamoto in Mtakataka, Dedza on Monday.
“As minister of Finance, Chikaonda contributed to the country’s economic development in various ways. It is because of is great work that the President ordered that he should be accorded a State funeral,” said Tembenu.
The funeral ceremony – amidst heavy downpour – took place with full military honours mounted by Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers from the Parachute Battalion from Malawi Armed Forces College(Mafco) in Salima.
Tembenu said Malawi has lost a “great man and patriotic leader” who was generous with advice n economic and political issues for nation-building.
Chikaonda held many key positions in the country both in the public and private sector. He once served as Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) governor from 1995 before a brief stint as Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development following his appointment in 2000.
In April 2012, Chikaonda—who is survived by a wife and three children—was appointed Malawi Stock Exchange (MSE)-dual listed Press Corporation Limited plc group chief executive officer, a position he held until his retirement in December 2016.
Chikaonda’s successor at Press Corporation Limited, Georege Partridge said the former CEO worked with ‘valour and honour’ at the conglomerate.
He offered his condolences to the bereaved family, and said Chikaonda’s services will always be remembered.
“Chikaonda was the first Malawian to be chief executive officer for Press Corporation. He was such an effective leader who geneuinely loved those he was working with,” said Partridge.
He said Chikaonda endered innumerable services towards the nation and that Press Corporation “still exists because of his visionary leadership.”
Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani V, former Reserve Bank governor Charles Chuka also extended heartfelt condolences towards the grieving family.
Chikaonda’s daughter Michelle described her father as loving and a teacher.
Born on August 8 1954, Chikaonda held a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in finance from the University of Massachusets, USA, a master of business administration (MBA) from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; bachelor of arts degree from the Council for National Academic Awards at Huddersfield University in the United Kingdom and a diploma in business administration from The Polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
I know in Malawi we are very good at studying historical economics, sciences,and humanities. If the Chikaonda was an Economist why did derailed our economy during bakili era. He was a corrupt and greed economist, period. No praises here……
This is the problem with fellow Malawians. We sometimes praise a criminal when he is dead. Chikaonda was man who was tribalistic and very greed. Why all these stupid praises. Only God knows how this many derailed the operations of Press Corporation Group of Companies. You know hos this guy treated the tumbukas and lomwes.
When Banda left the Government in 1994. 1US was 6 Malawi Kwacha. Within months under Muluzi it dropped to K17 for 1 US dollar. Now its even worse. All this has happened under his watch as an active player in the administering of the country’s failed economy. To me I don’t see anything good from Chikaonda. He with Muluzi destroyed our economy to trash. It also reminds me of Air Malawi which disappeared coz we employed a life CEO who destroyed it until his death. Mchungula who was brought in by Malewezi during Muluzis rule served almost 2 decades as… Read more »
So why is Malawi so poor if he was a star economist and all the praise, what changed when he was in thse positions for Malawians?
As for me I will remember him as a learned economist who reduced exercise tax on alcohol and beers there by leading to the reduction of prices
you say this professor was a star performer. My foot. How do you measure star perfomance. The guy was full of ego, a tribalist and a thief to his core. He invested massively in MTL optical fibre network only to sell it to his company Open Connect Limited. This guy spoiled this economy.
True
he killed PRESSCORP subsidiaries from 32 companies to just 15 companies and only 2 of them make profits that is TNM and NBM, therefore he successfully made retrenchments in PTC, MTL CARSBERG among others and made them technicaly insolvent!!!!
when he was working at RBM he also made retrenchments theer for the first time in the history of RBM
Blame it on Press Trust Reconstruction and blame it also on privatisation drive initiated by the yellow regime that went full throttle to liberalise the economy without seeking proper advice. It is reported elsewhere that the process was done in order to remove some limits that impinged on economic freedoms that existed on Malawi business market. The retrenchments alluded to were due to the economic environment in which RBM and many other companies had found themselves in. At one time Judge Edward Twea in one of the mortgage cases lamented at Malawi’s economy in particular on bank interests and linked… Read more »
Wasn’t he part of the yellow regime when he preached his ten point plan whilst he jetted around in 1st Class?
Ngonoonda you are just lying about retrenchment at RBM. RBM is a govt bank. It does not face the economic environment to justify retrenchment. Malawi is a growing economy, and you cannot justify retrenchment in any way. It is sad that he died. But the man loved to victimise people. He fired Chancy Mguntha (now late) who had gone to Mozambique to preach for no reason at all. Mguntha learnt of his dismissal when he came back . Chikaonda, together with his friend Charles Chuka and Moza Zeleza retrenched people at RBM in a wanton way. More than 10 retrenched… Read more »
I applaud you for revealing that those who were retrenched sought legal redress. That is the way how such issues are handled. But as far as human resource management is concerned, an organisation has to review its corporate services in line with its intended objectives. If some employees are not generating success to an organisation, restructuring follows. That is on an account that those in management forecast the number of employees available and the number of qualified employees demanded in future. As such human resource planning requires that an orgnisation should constantly monitor and plan number of employees required, their… Read more »
brother Jeremy well said, we glorify evil people in Malawi,this guy was evil and i cant mourn such mafia who caused so much pain to retrenched people in Malawi, Geroge Patridge,please spare us this nonsense , u were given that position coz u were friends nothing else
Am not in apposition to make a judgment but the story of this man who is today praised and regarded as saint the way he tortured people who were working with him had a story to tell and what has compelled me, is the kind of his attitude towards his work mates. It is a lesson for us too to create a conducive environment for everybody to be accomodated regardless of their backgrounds of originality,regionalism and nepotism which are the key factors that hamper economic growth
It was typical of him. He loved to see people suffer. Today he is presented to be a saint.
You remember how the introduction of SIM card registration was delayed because of him. He he said Macra has bought a spy machine and that Macra has no capacity to handle it. What followed was a long court battle