Mzimba North-East MP Catherine Gotani Hara was elected as Malawi’s first female speaker of parliament on Wednesday, June 19.
Hara who is a member of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) narrowly won with 97 votes against 94 for Esther Mcheka Chilenje the ruling DPP MP for Nsanje North.
She replaces fellow MCP member and Karonga Nyungwe MP Richard Msowoya who served as Malawi’s speaker of parliament from 2014 to 2019.
The new speaker of Malawi’s parliament has a BA in Political Science, she served as Minister of Health and Minister of Natural Resources in former Joyce Banda government.
Hara joins Thandi Modise of South Africa and Jeannine Mabunda Lioko from the DRC as some of the few female speakers of parliament in Africa.
Malawi opposition MP’s started shouting “No Tippex” after Hara won about the election rigging using Tippex during the just-ended tripartite election.
Catherine Gotani Hara’s short biography
- BA in Political Science (Chancellor College, UK)
- Mzimba North-East MP (2009 to present)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Degree Project Management (UK)
- First Malawian to work as a Programme Officer for the UK’s DFID
- Former Minister: Health & Natural Resources/Environmental Affairs
- Former Deputy Minister: Gender & Transport
