Mhura’s last mile: Burial on March 1

The late Necton Mhura who was Permanent Representative of Malawi to United Nations will be laid to rest on 1st March.

According to a statement signed by Chief Secretary to Government Lloyd Muhara, the remains of Mhura will jet in on Tuesday and later be buried on Thursday in Zomba.

“The Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to announce that the remains of Late Ambassador Necton D. Mhura , who until his death, was the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations will arrive through Chileka Airport in Blantyre at 3;15 pm on Tuesday, 27th February, 2018 aboard Ethiopian Airways Flight No. LT 21.

“The burial ceremony will take place at St. Mary’s Cemetery in the City of Zomba on Thursday, 1st March, 2018,” reads the statement.

Mhura died on February 19 in the United States. He is survived by a wife, three children and a grandchild.

He presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the Permanent Representative of Malawi to the United Nations on the 9th September in 2016. Prior to his appointment, he had served from 2015 as the country’s Ambassador to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Bahamas and Puerto Rico.

Mhura had a background in law and had a Master of Laws degree from the University of London (UK) and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Malawi. He was Dean of the Faculty of Law at Chancellor College School of Law at the University of Malawi between 2004 and 2007.

He also worked as Acting Dean from 1997 to 2000 and Head of the Law Department of Chancellor College from 1996 to 2002.

He also worked as a Lecturer in Law at the Malawi Polytechnic from 1995 to 1998, and at Chancellor College from 1994 to 2009.He also served as Commissioner of Lands for the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development from 2009 to 2010.

He also served as Deputy Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet from 2010 to 2012. Following President Bingu wa Mutharika’s untimely death, Mhura was arrested along with 11 others who were suspected of plotting to stage a coup in April 2012. His charges were however dropped.