BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)— Member of Parliament of the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in Karonga Central Constituency, Cornelius Mwalwanda, has died of Covid-19 on Thursday, making him the first lawmaker in the country to succumb to the virus that has killed 51 others.
Mwalwanda, who was an economist by profession, was admitted to the Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe a day ago after he was tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
According to a statement from Parliament, the general public will be updated on the funeral programme once consultations with the authorities and family are complete.
While at KCH, Mwalwanda informed the general public about his illness through a message he wrote on social media, and he thanked professionalism that was displayed by the hospital staff of both Karonga District Hospital and KCH.
“Colleagues, last night I checked into KCH COVID 19 Treatment Center after having been brought by Ambulance some 600 kilometers of the rough roads of our M1 Road. I been received well by a very professional staff of the Center and have been told that am occupying the same bed and room that was recently vacated by Daud Suleiman and also that Hon. Maxwell Thyolera and Frank Tumpale Mwenifumbo have been through this place.
“I also wish to extend my profound gratitude to Dr. Siwale, the DHO for Karonga District Hospital for making available an ambulance and Dr. Chirwa and his staff to accompany me to Lilongwe. This is beyond the call of duty and clear indication that the Ministry of Health has some committed professionals and staff. Thank you so much for your support,” he wrote.
Mwalwanda joined politics in 2009 when he competed for parliamentary seat on independent ticket. He won the election after beating political heavyweight Frank Tumpale Mwenefumbo.
In 2012 he joined the People’s Party (PP) of Joyce Banda after the demise of President Bingu Wa Mutharika and he was appointed Deputy Minister of Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in the Joyce Banda cabinet under Minister Ken Lipenga.
In 2014 he lost the seat to Mwenifumbo and he reclaimed it back in 2019.
However, during the 2014 Tripartite Elections, Mwenilondo area in Karonga Central Constituency was nicknamed Benghazi following frequent clashes between supporters of Frank Tumpale Mwenifumbo and Cornelius Mwalwanda.
Mwenifumbo and Mwalwanda were contesting for the constituency’s parliamentary seat. Mwenifundo, finally, was duly declared a winner.
Libya’s second populous city of Benghazi became infamous across the world for the killing of US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens on September 11, 2012 in a terrorist attack. Stevens was killed in a US diplomatic compound in the city by members of Islamic militant group Ansar al-Sharia.
The attack was labeled ‘Battle of Benghazi’ and was widely covered by international media.
Since then, the nickname has had a negative impact on the Karonga constituency because people of the area resort to violence over any contentious issue.
Mwalwanda was a graduate of the University of Malawi.[2] He received a Bachelor of Social Science Degree. He did his Masters in Economics at the University of New Brunswick and a PhD at the University of Toronto in Canada. He has also previously worked for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa [3]
He has worked as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Head of the ECA Geneva Liaison Office and as Team leader in the UNECA Economic and Social Policy Division. He has also worked as Officer-in-Charge of the Economic and Social Policy Division (ESPD).
He served as Chief of the Monetary and Financial Relations Section in the former Trade and Development Finance Division and Officer-in-Charge of that Division.
