Sad news: Sam Mpasu is no more

Death has been announced of veteran politician and former speaker, Sam Mpasu.

A Facebook post by United Democratic Front (UDF) Ken Ndanga has announced that Mpasu passed on this morning at his home.

Ndanga has posted:

Sam Mpasu (born 1945) was a Malawian politician, author, and former diplomat. He served as Minister of Commerce, Secretary General of the United Democratic Front (UDF) in 1999, and speaker of the Malawi National Assembly.

He served as a diplomat in the foreign service for the Malawi mission to Germany. While in diplomatic service in Germany, he wrote a book in 1975 entitled Nobody’s Friend, which got him arrested because the Kamuzu Banda regime thought that it was written about Kamuzu Banda. He was detained without trial for “two years, one month, one week, and one day” in Mikuyu Prison from 1975 to 1977.

From 1978 Mpasu worked at Lever Brothers (now Unilever) in various capacities until 1988 when he was seconded to run the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI).

In 1991, while working for Xerographics, he joined a secret group headed by ex Secretary General of the, Malawi Congress Party turned businessman Bakili Muluzi whose aim was to build up opposition to Banda.

The United Democratic Front was voted into government in 1994.
Mpasu was elected Member of Parliament for Ntcheu Central, appointed Minister of Education and Government Chief Whip in Parliament.

He later served as Minister of Commerce and Speaker of the Malawi House of Assembly. His appointment as Minister of Commerce met with a lot of resistance since he was the Speaker of the House at that time. The court attempted to block President Bakili Muluzi from posting him to this position. Mpasu later accepted it.

In 2008 a Malawian court sentenced him to a six-year prison sentence over charges of corruption and abuse of office which was famously know as the Field Yark Scandle dating back 14 years. He was released from jail in 2010 instead of 2014 due to good behaviour.

After the 2014.election he became present of the New Labour party where he became a, lone voice replacing Friday Jumbe, a former cabinet colleague who resigned from active politics.

Shocked to be told about his death this morning.

He died in his house in Blantyre.