‘I want to prioritise investment and trade’

Britain has sent in a new envoy by the name of HOLLY TETT to replace Michael Nevin whose tour of duty ended last year in September. Before her arrival in Malawi, the United Kingdom (UK) was being represented in a temporary arrangement by Simon Mustard who has since returned to his home country. Our Lilongwe Assistant Bureau Supervisor SUZGO KHUNGA talks to the new British Commissioner to find out more about her.

Q

Welcome to Malawi. Firstly, I wanted to know what is your first impression about Malawi?

A

Thank you. My first impressions of Malawi have been excellent. I have served before in Ethiopia, Tunisia and South Africa, and travelled extensively on the African continent and I am so pleased to be back here to introduce my children to African sunshine and the beautiful landscapes. I have only been here few days, but I can already see Malawi is an amazing country and full of potential.

I flew in just before the New Year over your beautiful lake and was struck by the natural beauty of this country. I have already encountered the friendliness of the people here, not least amongst my own excellent team at the British High Commission. And I cannot wait to get out and about to explore your country.

Q

What qualities, attributes and strengths do you think you have to be able to deliver in this role as Her majesty’s representative to the Republic of Malawi?

A

I am quite a relaxed and optimistic person so I think my personality is well suited to Malawi! My skills and experience are also well matched to the work here. Most recently I was in Buenos Aires [Argentina] where I was involved in issues of economic governance and trade and investment promotion. And during my previous postings in Africa I worked on issues that would be applicable to Malawi such as governance, human rights, corruption, democracy, media, elections, and much more. I have always wanted to come back to Africa to work on this sort of things. So, really it is a pleasure to come to Malawi and I look forward to deepening our friendly ties and supporting Malawi in these areas.

Q

What will be your priorities in Malawi?

A

I have one overriding goal for my time here and that is to deepen and strengthen our friendship in a way that serves both the people of Malawi and the people of the UK. I believe the UK and Malawi share a key objective for our partnership here which is to see Malawi progress, and to see economic growth that will reduce poverty, inequality and vulnerability. There are many things that will contribute to achieving this goal.

Firstly, supporting the government in its efforts to tackle the current humanitarian crisis and breaking the cycle of hunger. This is also tied to necessary reforms in the agricultural sector and economy, improving public sector performance and increasing access to education amongst other reform initiatives.

Secondly, I want to prioritise investment and trade between the UK and Malawi. I hope drawing experiences from Argentina; I could help drive forward trade and investment with the UK, particularly in the agricultural and energy sectors.

Thirdly, I would like to focus on cross-cutting issues that are close to my heart like issues of women, girls and the Next Generation. I am a mum-of-four myself and care about the future of our children.

One final priority I will squeeze in is sports. I love netball and I know that Malawi has a formidable side ranked third in the world. If I can help develop sporting links between our two countries—both for netball and other sports—I know that is a great way to ensure our healthy friendship thrives.

Q

Earlier in the week, you presented your letters of credence to President Mutharika signifying your official acceptance into this role by Lilongwe. Broadly, what did you discuss with him during the audience you had with him?

A

I discussed a range of issues with President Mutharika in the spirit of true partners that share a deep and strong relationship. Aside from learning more about your President and introducing myself and my family, we discussed how important UK-Malawi relationship is for the benefit of our peoples. We discussed the ongoing humanitarian crisis and how the UK is standing side by side with Malawi to help those in need, to increase food security and to build Malawi’s resilience to crises.

We also touched on boosting Malawi’s economy and entrenching democratic values through staying the course with reforms and improving governance and accountability systems. He shared with me his government’s priorities which I will fully support in every way I can.

Q

What is your aspiration for Malawi, that is, what kind of Malawi do you want to see at the end of your tenure?

A

I would love to see a Malawi that is less dependent on aid and able to tap into trading opportunities with the UK. I would be very happy if Malawi was more outward-looking and more engaged internationally—showing the world what it is capable of. I really don’t think this is too much to hope for since Malawi has never witnessed any conflict, is peaceful, stable and with a friendly population. With some commitment from all stakeholders to turn things around—I think this can be achieved during my time here.

Q

Tell me a little bit about yourself?

A

I am Holly Tett. I come from London and am accompanied by my partner Mark Kalch and our four young children.

Q

What are your interests and hobbies outside working hours?

A

I love sport, netball especially, the great outdoors and spending time with my family. I hope to travel extensively both for work and leisure whie I am in this role and want to make sure I understand all four corners of Malawi—essential to be able to do my job effectively and to fully enjoy my time here. I am particularly passionate about issues that affect women and children and hope to get stuck into some community projects while I am here. My partner Mark is already training with the Malawian national Judo team and is hoping to set up an academy for Malawian kids to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu [he is himself a black belt].

Q

Any last word?

A

With our shared history and common interests, Malawi is an important partner for the UK. Thus, it is really a huge honour to be here as a High Commissioner. I couldn’t think of a better country in which to be with my family. I hope if we partner on the things I have set out to achieve, we will make a difference that benefits our people. n