First Lady appoints niece as Malawi deputy ambassador to Zimbabwe
Malawi’s First Lady, Gertrude Maseko Mutharika, the current wife of President Peter Mutharika handpicked niece, who was a teacher in her home district, Balaka and appointed her the lucrative post of deputy head of mission in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Nyasa Times has established that the First Lady imposed her sister’s daughter, Bertha Ndebele, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to send her to Zimbabwe as the second in command at the Malawi Embassy in Harare despite her having no background knowledge on international relations or diplomacy.
A highly placed source at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said: “The level of nepotistic behaviour by the Mutharika family is beyond reproach. They behave as if Malawi is a personal estate. By a word of mouth, the First Lady’s niece was made the Malawian deputy envoy to Zimbabwe. The First Lady’s wish is an unchallenged command in Malawi and they will is always done.”
“Zimbabwe and South Africa are very strategic when it comes to our embassies. It cannot be overemphasized how important are these countries when it comes to foreign trade and industry. They are sending their relations to strategic embassies like South Africa, Zimbabwe, and the UK leaving out competent people who would serve the country better and in a professional manner,” said the source.
The First Lady’s niece, Bertha Ndembele, who has a striking resemblance to her Mrs Mutharika, was until his nepotistic appointment to Harare as an envoy was a teacher at Balaka Secondary school.
Said the source: “We wonder why our country does not attract reputable foreign investors or indeed why we are poorly marketed in Africa when all that we do is but send incompetent people to represent our country abroad just because they are related to the president. It is sad that such a thing is happening in 2018.”
“President Peter Mutharika, of all people, after spending over 40 years in America, and as a law scholar and professor should have been the first one to appoint people into offices on merit and not based on blood relationship.
“The First Lady is very powerful and from the look of things, she is the one running the show. Check around and you will see that the First Lady is all over the place and has appointed all her relatives to powerful positions,” said the source.
The source explained that President Mutharika is not even in control at the moment suggesting that the ‘Lady of the State’ is the one calling the shots.
Said the source: “At and at the rate we are going she is fast becoming a race Mugabe and she is orchestrating Peter Mutharika’s fall.”
Dembele was appointed to deputise the the Malawi High Commissioner to Zimbabwe some months ago. This revelation comes barely days after it was revealed that President Peter Mutharika has handpicked appointed her niece, her late brother’s daughter as the first Secretary at the Malawian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa.
Duwa Mutharika, the late President Bingu wa Mutharika’s daughter was working for a local church in South Africa as a pastoral secretary and a Sunday school teacher before his uncle, President Peter Mutharika gave her a high paying position at the Malawian Embassy in South Africa.
The DPP us synonymous with nepotism and favouritism andwell-known for employing t relations and people from their tribe, the Llomwes.
Nepotism and favouritism are two of the incurable cancers dwindling Malawi’s development as key strategic positions are given to relatives of those in power leaving out the competent and qualified people who could do the job well.
Mutharika is facing an unprecedented resistance for an incumbent—eligible for a second term as per the Malawi Constitution—from some DPP members canvassing for Chilima’s candidacy.
Former first lady Callista Mutharika—widow of Bingu who was the incumbent President’s elder brother—sparked the succession debate weeks ago when she said her in-law, 79, should pave the way for the comparatively youthful and energetic Chilima, 45, widely seen as a hands-on and results-oriented leader after he vibrantly led the Public Sector Reforms Programme that has since lost steam after being moved from his domain.
In the run-up to the May 20 2014 Tripartite Elections, Chilima took many people by surprise when he resigned from his lucrative job as Airtel Malawi managing director in the private sector to join active politics as Mutharika’s running mate. His gamble paid dividends when the pair triumphed in the elections.
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Im not DPP but I don’t like the way you have written the heading. Does the first lady appoint anyone in Gvt. Mr reporter check your story and rewrite it without showing biasness
I doubt if first lady is an appointing authority. May be you want the story to draw attention
This lady is too wicked when it comes to deploying relatives and friends in public service. She has done it again after sending her friend Ellen Solomon to Lusaka as Deputy Ambassador. She is the one that will make her husband lose next year’s elections without any doubt. Why can’t she learn from Grace Mugabe?
its okay, it will only be for 11 months
DPP is otherwise known as “Mutharika Incorporated” so what’s wrong with employing family. It’s called nepotism in civilised countries.
Koma iyi ndie mwapala nayotu 0 pa 10. Zolemba zakuthetani? Bertha amapita kalekale Ku Embassy mwaziwa lero? On the other hand is she related to the first lady in any way? Mwapala koopsa akutumaniwo akunamizani tikuwowozeni wowowo
Tha appointment is very wrong koma kali very mushe!
Dziko lawola ili. Nyasi. umve
Learn to proof read before posting. Ndebele Ndembele Dembele which is which.
The deputy her neice, the Ambassaor is one of her best friends…
I find this article nepotistic. Does the writer imply that relations of the President or the First Lady should not be employed in Malawi? If Bertha was a teacher at Balaka secondary school, it means she has a degree. Why does the writer ignore her qualifications and keep on emphasizing her relationship with the Firdt Lady? What qualifications does one need to have in order to serve at the embassy? Palibe nkhani apa and government must continue appointing people in this manner to avoid putting people belonging to unholy movement on its payroll.
Agetuludi mwatani kodi mama. Ife timakukondani koma apapa zanyanya nepotism imafunika nkachibisila
She’s coming back soon after elections..amupitisa mochedwa waste of her time
She is a MILF.
BEHIND A SUCCESSFUL MAN /PRESIDENT THERE’S A STRONG VIBRANT INTELLIGENT WOMAN –MALAWI REMEMBERS WITH TEARS MAMA ETHEL MUTHALIKA (MHSRIP ) –MALAWI RECOGNISES THE WONDERFUL/UNFORGETTABLE WORKS MAMA CECILIA KADZAMIRA DID TO MOTHER
MALAWI —ONE WONDERS WHAT LEGACY/RESPECT WILL THESE OTHER PEOPLE LEAVE BEHIND? ??ONLY GOD KNOWS !!
Aunt Gertrude Maseko Prof Her Excellency is the prima Donna it is beyond question that ours is rudderless state. It is funny situation in Malawi that in 2014 we inaugurated our Parliament without a cabinet in a mix of national priorities. Priority was the wedding of APM to Gertrude Maseko. So the family wagon steered by the guy from Chimaliro Ngongoliwaland is full of cronyism nepotism we are yet to understand exactly what APM intends to do with our sinking ship while Chilima is a lame duck Neither Pitara nor Simonii can shoot from hip because none is strong enough to thrust the ideas within their camps
It happens even in United States of America, UK or Russia
Oooh God please Remove the scales of blindness from the eyes of my fellow MALAWIANS so that we can see that BUSHIRI IS the only Answer to the hardships the country is facing otherwise We will regret /Suffer like never before in human history
PLEASE CSOS PAC CHIEFS CHURCH LEADERS CHIEFS PARENTS YOUTHS INVITE BUSHIRI TO COME AND HELP GOVERN THE COUNTRY AS WAS THE CASE WITH KAMUZU
THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN IS NOW
MAY GOD BLESS OUR LAND
Editor please take time to proof read these stories before they get published. The level of spelling mistakes makes a credible story lack the substance it deserves. You have referred to the lady using 3 different surnames; Ndebele, Dembele and Ndembele.
Alekeni it’s their farm. Of course APM is…… Getrude orchestrated the appointment om a Mr Chimombo as Accountant General and its a disaster.
The next thing we will hear is the arrival of Electoral Experts from Zimbabwe. These appointments are meant to organise rigging contracts for the 2019 elections!
Gertrude Mutharika is an evil woman just like Grace Mugabe. She is the one in the driving seat.
The only substantial argument should be that of nepotism but on lack of experience we all know that since time immemorial people who are posted do not necessarily have diplomatic experience. Most of them gain experience in the process of being there. And moreover, who does not know that diplomatic posts are cronyistic and nepotistic. In terms of academic qualification, I feel she is qualified. If she is truly qualified as a secondary school teacher then she must have an undergraduate degree or diploma in education. Zinazi kumangozisiya. I was born MCP and I will die MCP even if it may never win an election in my lifetime. Koma pa nkhani iyi mmmmm! Mwangoda nayo kukhosi DPPyo. Iyaaaa!
Peter Muthalika is the most nepotistic president in the history is this country. I wonder why Malawians are/were so taken away with this ‘fake’ professor. So the only people to work in embassies are relatives of the president, his lhomwe tribe. Wake up Malawians let the lhomwes alone vote for their own.
Very stupid writing. Who told you that she is not qualified? Who told you that the Masekos should not be appointed to Foreign Missions? Are all Malawians in Foreign Missions the Masekos or Mutharikas? You can go to hell with your unreasonable crying.
Boma lolamulira akubanja chonchi tikungopita pansi ochepa pano ndiomwe zikuyenda koma 85% tikuvutika i remember nthawi ya a Tcheya ndalama zinali mwa anthu and zinthu zimayenda koma lero yerrrh zayang’ana kungolo!! A china Nankhumwa and company ndiokhao zili bho basi kaya nthawi yanu!
NEXT TIME WIL BE CHAPONDA SENDING HIS COMEDIAN SON TO UKRAINE. HOZA DEMOLARIZED POLITICAL PARTY.