Member of Parliament for Karonga Central, Cornelius Mwalwanda has died, days after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Speaker of Parliament Catherine Gotani Hara has confirmed Mwalwanda’s death.
“It is with a heavy heart that I inform all Honourable Members and staff of the passing of Honourable Dr. Cornelius Thomson Mwalwanda, MP, of Karonga Central Constituency at Kamuzu Central Hospital.
“All Members of Parliament and staff will be updated on the programme once consultations with the authorities and family are complete,” Hara said in a statement.
A few days ago, Mwalwanda announced that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and was taken by an ambulance from Karonga to Kamuzu Central Hospital COVID-19 Treatment Center.
Mwalwanda was a member of the ruling Malawi Congress Party and is the first MP to die of COVID-19.
He was a development economist and once served as Deputy Minister of Finance and Development Planning. He also previously worked for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA .
Malawi has recorded 2716 cases including 51 deaths and 1077 recoveries
