Bingu wa Mutharika

Bingu wa Mutharika (born Brightson Webster Ryson Thom; 24 February 1934 – 5 April 2012) was a Malawian politician and economist who was President of Malawi from May 2004 until his death in April 2012.

Bingu wa Mutharika was born Brightson Webster Ryson Thom on 24 February 1934 in the village of Kamoto in Thyolo District, and is a member of the Lomwe ethnic group.

Mutharika's parents, Ryson Thom Mutharika and Eleni Thom Mutharika, were both members of the Church of Scotland Mission which later became Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian.

His father was a teacher for 37 years and his mother taught the women of the Mvano group.

Upon completing his primary education at Ulongwe Mission and Chingoli, Mulanje, Ntambanyama, Malamulo, in Thyolo and Henri Henderson Institute in Blantyre, Mutharika obtained a Grade A Cambridge Overseas School Leaving Certificate at Dedza Secondary School in 1956.

After that, he joined the Nyasaland civil service.

At some point during the 1960s, he also changed his name, to Bingu wa Mutharika.

In India, Mutharika earned his bachelor's degree in Economics from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi.

Subsequently, he attended the Delhi School of Economics graduating with a M.A. degree in Economics.

He later obtained a PhD degree in Development Economics from Pacific Western University.

Mutharika also completed short courses on Business Management, Financial Analysis, Trade Promotion, Political Leadership, regional Economic Co-operation and Human Relations.

In 1964, he was one of the 32 Malawians selected by Hastings Kamuzu Banda (President of Malawi 1961–1994) to travel to India on an Indira Gandhi scholarship for 'fast track' diplomas.

The BBC reports that he went to India to "escape then President Hastings Banda's crackdown on political opponents".

In the early 1990s, he was one of the first to be employed at the Preferential Trade Area of East and Central Africa (PTA) and became its secretary-general in 1991.

Mutharika served in the Malawi civil service.

He served as an administrative officer in the Government of Malawi and also in Zambia.

He was offered the Deputy Governorship of the reserve Bank of Malawi and appointed Minister of Economic Planning and Development in 2002.

He also worked at the World Bank as a Loans Officer and at the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa, as Director of Trade and Development Finance and as Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa COMESA, covering 22 member states.

Mutharika was nominated by President Muluzi as his successor.

Mutharika won the presidential election on 20 May 2004, ahead of John Tembo and Gwanda Chakuamba, and took office a few days later.

During President Mutharika's first term in office (2004–2008), the country achieved a high rate of agricultural production and food security.

The President's initiatives, centred on a programme of agricultural subsidy, benefited approximately 1,700,000 resource poor smallholder farmers.

He was also President of the Democratic Progressive Party, which he founded in February 2005; it obtained a majority in Malawi's parliament in the 2009 general election.

In the 2005/2006 crop season, Malawi achieved a food surplus of more than 500,000 metric tons.

On 7 October 2006, Mutharika stated his intention to seek re-election in the 2009 presidential election as the DPP candidate.

Mutharika's Malawi Growth and Development Strategy for 2006–2011 prioritised the enhancement of: agriculture and food security, education, transport, energy generation, rural development, irrigation and water development, youth development and anti-corruption initiatives.

Two years later, in October 2008, the DPP's national governing council unanimously chose Mutharika as the party's candidate for the 2009 election, which he won with 66.7% of the vote.

During the 2008/2009 planting season, food surpluses topped 1.3 million metric tons.

In 2009, he purchased a private presidential jet for $13.26 million.

This was followed almost immediately by a nationwide fuel shortage, which was officially blamed on logistical problems but was more likely due to the hard currency shortage caused by the freezing of aid by the international community.

In 2009, Malawi's Ministry of Finance estimated that during the previous four years the share of Malawians living below the poverty line fell from 52 per cent to 40 per cent.

This has been attributed to the country's agricultural policies, which have been seen as pioneering in the context of African economic development.

In addition to championing food security in Malawi, Mutharika promoted a similar approach for Africa.

During his two terms in office, he was noted for being the Chairperson of the African Union in 2010–2011, as well as for several domestic controversies.

This agricultural policy was widely regarded as successful but expensive, and was curtailed in 2011.

Under his tenure, the constitutionally enshrined human rights and separation of powers were enhanced, including legal reform.

His first term was seen as a broad political success.

He has also been credited with committing to and presiding over economic reform, fiscal restraint and anti-corruption measures.

During his tenure, the election was recognised by monitors as fair.

He died in office from a cardiac arrest on 5 April 2012, at age 78.