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Meet the bride, President proposed to marry her before elections

Kapasule Village in T/A Sawali in Balaka was virtually unknown until last week when it was announced that one of its daughters, Gertrude Maseko, is getting married to the First Citizen—President Peter Mutharika.

The village, fifteen kilometres north of Balaka Boma, in an area popularly known as Khwisa, is now revelling in its new status so much so that yesterday was a beehive of activity in preparation for today when the President and Miss Maseko become man and wife.

Mutharika's bride: Getrude Maseko
Mutharika’s bride: Getrude Maseko

The locals are even dreaming. Some told Weekend Nation on Thursday that the President marrying their own means one thing: Development to the area.

Miss Maseko’s family, who knew that their daughter is marrying the President days before the May 20 elections, hosted the locals from the surrounding villages of Makenzi, Majo, Tembo, Chimtendere, Amoni, Tsute, Kalembera and Chikuse to a feast last night that included dance and music.

The family will then join the nuptials today at Ndata in Thyolo, the home of the bridegroom, after officiation of the marriage at St Michael and All Angels CCAP Church in Blantyre.

In an exclusive interview, a delighted brother of the bride, Brighton Kapasule, disclosed that Maseko first broke the news of her relationship with Mutharika in 2012

Kapasule, 68, the first born in the family, said the family took the news lightly as “just one of those things”.

He disclosed that the family took the matter seriously when Maseko, last born in a family of six, returned on May 15 this year, just five days before the tripatite elections, with the news that Mutharika had proposed.

He said Maseko, a trained nurse who once worked in Zomba, quit her job to join World Vision Malawi, a charitable organisation.

Kapasule said: “We are over the moon that our own blood is getting married, not only to an ordinary citizen, but to a President.

“We can’t ask for more. We regard ourselves privileged. It’s not everyday people have a President for an in-law. We are very excited and looking forward to the big day when Professor Mutharika will take our sister to the altar.”

Another relation, Louis Mmadi, said that Maseko, who has a son doing tertiary education at the University of Malawi’s Polytechnic, got divorced from her first husband more than 10 years ago.

He said Maseko’s former husband died last year.

Mmadi said Maseko joined politics in 2006 after she quit her job at World Vision.

He said the First Lady to be, described as an affable person, contested for Balaka North Constituency in 2009 on a DPP ticket and won the seat.

Agnes Kamanga, a niece to Maseko, said she couldn’t believe the day was finally here.

Kamanga said: “People were saying a lot, some even said our aunt was not getting married to Peter Mutharika. They even mocked us, saying Vice-President Saulos Chilima’s wife was recognised in salutations during the inauguration while our aunt was not.

“But all that is over, I feel very happy and I can’t sleep.”

Kamanga, who said Maseko is a very prayerful woman and has been a member of the CCAP all these years, wished President Mutharika well as he embarks on his mission to transform Malawi.

The family members interviewed said they are yet to meet Mutharika in person and could not wait for that opportunity.

The Kapasule’s, where Maseko has her roots from her paternal side, is a royal family.

Maseko’s mother, according to the family, died in 2010.

When called on Thursday for comment on today’s big day, the soft spoken First Lady to be said it was not necessary because the event is private.

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