Gender officer & Shareworld graduate to run Malawi airports: Zione Themba appointed ADL CEO

April 27, 2026 03:59 PM

Malawi24 Reporter

Newly appointed Airport Development Limited CEO Zione Themba who has no known aviation experience and previously served as Special Assistant to the Minister of Gender in Malawi from 2015 to 2024

New Airport Development Limited boss has no known aviation background

Zione Themba has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of Airport Development Limited (ADL), the parastatal that manages and operates all public aerodromes in Malawi.

However, she has no background knowledge and experience in aviation, airport management or infrastructure.

Themba holds a degree from Shareworld University and reportedly obtained a Master’s in Gender from the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) in 2023.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Themba worked as a Special Assistant to the Minister of Gender from August 2015 to June 2024. During the time, Malawi had several ministers. During the same period she also served as a Senior Human Resource and Administration Officer from March 2017 to June 2024. She left both roles in the same month.

ADL is responsible for managing Kamuzu International Airport, Chileka International Airport and other public aerodromes across Malawi.

The role requires oversight of aviation safety standards, infrastructure development, airline relations and compliance with international civil aviation regulations. Malawi24 has reached out to LUANAR to establish when Themba Zione graduated from the University.