Mutharika yet to replace Ntaba, Thoko Banda as Malawi diplomats

Ministry of foreign Affairs and International Cooperation spokesperson Quent Kalichero has said  the ministry is waiting for the appointing authority, the President to make flesh nominations to replace two proposed diplomats who withdrew their appointments to foreign missions.

The two are veteran politician -cum-medical doctor Hetherwick Ntaba who was posted as High Commissioner to UK and Thoko Banda who was posted to Zimbabwe.

Ntaba withdrew his name for “personal reasons” and Bernard Sande is still the High Commissioner in London.

While  Thoko Banda  who once reportedly described Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as an “idiot” turned down a posting as his country’s top envoy to Harare.

Banda’s scathing insult to neighbouring Zimbabwe’s long-serving head of state was recalled by Nyasa Times, shortly after he was named as Malawi’s ambassador to Zimbabwe.

He was widely quoted as telling Germany’s The Foreigner magazine in 2006 that “Zimbabwe has an idiot for president.”

And that Mugabe is “ a horrible man.”

Banda, who has served previously as a diplomat in Japan and Germany, said he was not consulted on his Harare appointment by President Peter Mutharika and was “surprised” to learn of it through the media.

Malawi and Zimbabwe, both members of the Southern African Development Community, have enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations in the past.

Jane Kambalame is still in charge as Malawi diplomat in Hrara .

Meanwhle, Chancellor College political analyst Boniface Dulani told The Nation, Malawi’s daily, “there is need for some quick action on the diplomats because they are the first point of reference for Malawi to the outside world.

“Atleast they should have brought back the old ambassadors and briefed them on the new foreign policy of this admistration”

Brian Bowler and Charles Namondwe have since been redeployed to their  diplomatic posts in the United
States of America  at the UN mission and China,respectively