Mutharika returns Monday from New York
Government has finally broken the silence and announced that President Peter Mutharika will return home from New York, United States of America (USA) where he attended the 72nd United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA).
The announcement comes after The Nation reported that government officials were tight-lipped on the precise day the President would be returning home.
A brief statement on presidential public programme issued on Thursday by chief Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) Lloyd Muhara said Mutharika is expected to arrive home on Monday at 12:30pm
through Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe.
The President left the country for New York on September 15 with a reported 19-member delegation for the annual general assembly held from September 19 to 25.
Most leaders including Malawi’s neighbouring Presidents of Zimbabwe (Robert Mugabe), Zambia’s Edgar Lungu, Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique and South Africa’s Jacob Zuma returned to their respective countries last
week immediately after they addressed the general assembly.
Mutharika made his address last week on Wednesday September 20, but according to Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister Emmanuel Fabiano he remained in New York to attend multilateral and
bilateral meetings.
Besides attending the Unga, Mutharika was also expected to make at least 12 statements in other several side event meetings.
University of Malawi’s (Unima) Chancellor College political scientist Ernest Thindwa described the President’s prolonged stay in the US as “very expensive” for a nation whose economy is wobbling.
During the 71st session of UNGA last year, Mutharika’s trip was also shrouded in secrecy after he took nearly a month to return home after the general assembly ended.
