Born in Malawi on 24 February 1934 at Kamoto Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chimaliro in Thyolo district, he came into power as a Joseph who saved his brothers and sisters including their families in Egypt after they had struggled with hunger in Canaan.
He was called ‘Chitsulo cha Njanji’ meaning railway steel which is an ironic word that refers to roughness.
Bingu wa Muntharika emerged in the Malawi political scene in 1999 when he formed his party called the United Party (UP) and contested in that year’s elections however didn’t win.
Bingu did not give up on politics but immersed himself in the United Democratic Front (UDF) where he was voted into office as a Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi and later, a Minister of Economic Planning and Development.
Subsequently, the messiah was nominated as a presidential candidate for the UDF and he contested in the 2004 presidential elections where he was elected as the president of the Republic of Malawi on the UDF ticket.
Fast-forward, Mutharika deserted UDF and formed his party called the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on 17 February 2005.
Blessed with plentiful foreign grants and good weather conditions from 2004 to 2009, Malawi’s Economy grew and it fulfilled his popular title “Chitsulo cha Njanji”.
According to the World Bank report of 2010, the economy of Malawi grew over 6 percent in 2006, and over 8 percent in 2007, and was projected to sustain this level of growth in 2008 and 2009. The report further states that during the regime of Bingu wa Mutharika Malawi’s economy was stable.
“The government stayed within the planned budget and, as a result, the fiscal position dramatically improved. This led to an increase in donor inflows, which in turn allowed the government to further reduce its need to borrow domestically thus allowing more resources to become available for private sector investment,” reads part of the report.
Malawi from the beginning relied much on agriculture as a main source of income and the backbone of its economy.
According to the 2009 World Bank report titled “Malawi Country Economic Memorandum”, from 2004 up to 2009, Malawi had improved much in the Agriculture sector because of government policy changes in Agriculture.
“This is reflected by the prominence of food security in public policy. Through the Fertilizer Subsidy Program, the government has made increasing maize yields the mainstay of agricultural policy and has designated it a “strategic crop” subject to import and export bans. Together with good rains, the increased use of fertilizer has increased yields and in the last three seasons substantially strengthened food security,” reads the report.
Bingu wa Mutharika’s popularity became deep-rooted in the 2009 elections when he polled 66% and his party won an absolute majority in Parliament, the highest vote share ever achieved since the introduction of Multiparty Democracy in 1993.
Mutharika was appointed the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) on 1 July 2011 and served this role until his death on 5 April 2012.
As a Chairperson, Muntharika worked to promote peace and stability in Africa, and he was active in promoting development and economic growth.
Despite this, according to a Barometer report of 2011-2013 titled “A Tale of Two Presidents: Assessments of ‘Chitsulo Cha Njanje’ and ‘Amayi’ in Malawi” highlights that Mutharika lost his popularity in early 2011 due to his notorious decisions.
“His popular support soon started to wane following several unpopular decisions, among them the side-lining of the Vice President, the attempted imposition of Mutharika’s brother as the DPP torchbearer for the 2014 elections, and the enactment of several draconian laws such as the Media and Police Acts, as well as the expulsion of the UK High Commissioner,” reads the report.
Bingu Wa Mutharika until he breathed his last due to Cardiac arrest on 5 April 2012, was considered a visionary leader among the 21st-Century presidents of the Republic of Malawi.
