George T. Chaponda (born 1 November 1942) is a Malawian career diplomat and politician who served as Malawi's Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development from 2016 to 2017. He is a founding member of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and is a DPP Member of Parliament from Mulanje district in southern Malawi.[1]
George Chaponda | |
|---|---|
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| Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development | |
| In office 7 April 2016 – 22 February 2017 | |
| President | Peter Mutharika |
| Preceded by | Allan Chiyembekeza |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation | |
| In office 19 June 2014 – 7 April 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Ephraim Chiume |
| Succeeded by | Francis Kasaila |
| Member of Parliament for Mulanje South West | |
| Assumed office 2004 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 November 1942 Chonde Village, Nyasaland |
| Nationality | Malawian |
| Political party | Democratic Progressive Party |
| Children | Daliso Chaponda |
| Alma mater | University of Delhi University of Zambia Yale University (J.S.D) |
Early life edit
Born in Chonde Village, Mulanje District, Chaponda studied at the University of Delhi from 1963 to 1968 where he received degrees in history and political science. He studied law at the University of Zambia from 1976 to 1979 and at Yale University from 1980 to 1984. He was admitted to the bar in 1980.[2]
Career edit
He has held a number of senior positions in Zambia, including chief executive of a parastal organisation. From 1984 to 2002, he worked mostly as a senior lawyer for the Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Somalia, Kenya, Thailand, Bangladesh, Switzerland, Austria, Poland and Ethiopia. From 2003 to 2004 he was Chairman of the University Council of the University of Malawi. In 2004 Chaponda entered Malawian politics and was elected as a member of parliament for the Mulanje South West constituency. In June 2004, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of the newly elected President Bingu wa Mutharika. He served in that position until 2005, when he was appointed Minister of Local Government and Rural Development. After the elections in May 2009, President Peter Mutharika appointed him Minister of Education, but moved him to lead the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in 2010. The entire cabinet was dismissed on 19 August 2011.
In September 2011, President Peter Mutharika re-appointed him to cabinet as Minister of Education, Science and Technology. He served in that post until April 2012, when the president died suddenly of a heart attack. Mutharika's successor, Joyce Banda, appointed Chaponda Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on 22 June 2014. On 7 April 2016, President Peter Mutharika moved Chaponda to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development.[3]
Mutharika then appointed him Leader of the House of Assembly in May 2016.[4] After a brief suspension in early 2017, Chaponda was re-instated in February but only held the post for a week before he was succeeded by his deputy Kondwani Nankhumwa in an interim capacity, pending the results of Chaponda's ongoing corruption investigation.[5]
He was rumoured to have been groomed to succeed President Peter Mutharika.[6]
Air Fouling Legislation edit
In February 2011, Chaponda said that a clause in the Local Courts bill making it a misdemeanor to "vitiate the atmosphere" would criminalize flatulence to "promote decency".[7] He told the private Capital Radio's popular Straight Talk programme, "Would you be happy to see people farting anyhow?" The story was quickly picked up by the foreign press.[8] The Solicitor General Anthony Kamanga contradicted him, saying the bill referred only to air pollution.[7] Later, Chaponda retracted his remarks, saying he had not read the proposed bill before commenting.[8]
Personal life edit
Chaponda is a Christian, is married and has children. During a parliamentary debate in the Malawi parliament in 2016, he was involved in an altercation with a member of parliament from the opposition People's Party (PP), Harry Mlekanjala Mkandawire. Mkandawire is said to have said Chaponda is one of seven ministers alleged to be in an audit report for the plunder of government funds in Malawi, popularly known as Cashgate.
His son, comedian Daliso Chaponda, appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2017, claiming Amanda Holden's Golden Buzzer. He ended up finishing in third place.
References edit
- ^ "THE IRISH-AFRICAN PARTNERSHIP FOR RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING" (PDF). crossborder.ie. Page 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
- ^ Kalinga, Owen (2012). Historical Dictionary of Malawi. Page 75. ISBN 9780810859616. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- ^ Simutowe, Yamikani. "APM reshuffles Cabinet, Kaliati hired as govt. spokesperson". Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ "DR GEORGE CHAPONDA APPOINTED AS LEADER OF THE HOUSE – afriem.org". afriem.org. 19 May 2016. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ Ponje, Alick. "George Chaponda replaced again | The Times Group". times.mw. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ Kathumba, Jonathan (5 September 2016). "Can 'mafia' George Chaponda be next Malawi President? Thanks, but no thanks". Nyasa Times. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
- ^ a b "Malawi row over whether new law bans farting". BBC. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
- ^ a b JOE CHIBEWA (4 February 2011). "Chaponda: Oops I goofed, you can fart!". Marevi Post. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.