Who is Sidik Mia?
Mohammed Sidik Mia was born in 1965 and is a wealthy businessperson with a cattle ranch in Ngabu, Chikwawa, his home area.
He was first elected a member of Parliament (MP) for Chikwawa Nkombezi in May 2004 on the United Democratic Front (UDF) ticket.
Then president Bingu wa Mutharika appointed him deputy minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Food Security in June 2004.
In 2005, Mia was made deputy minister of Mines, Natural Resources and Environment before he was moved to Transport and Public Works, in a similar capacity. Later in September the same year, he was promoted to a full Cabinet minister at Irrigation and Water Development, a position he held until March 2009.
In the May 2009 General Elections, Mia was re-elected MP on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ticket, a party Bingu formed after falling out with UDF in 2005.
Bingu entrusted Mia with the defence portfolio in June 2009. After the Cabinet reshuffle of August 9 2010, he was made minister of Transport and Public Infrastructure.
In April 2012, following the death of Bingu, Mia led a delegation of 18 fellow Cabinet ministers and DPP members to meet then estranged vice-president Joyce Banda who ascended to the presidency in line with constitutional order.
When Banda formed People’s Party (PP), Mia joined the fray.
Mia resigned from PP and from Banda’s Cabinet where he served as minister for Transport in January 2014, claiming he was retiring from active politics.
However, in June 2017, he announced his political comeback and joined the MCP in July 2017. n
