Tributes flow for economics professor Kaluwa

President Lazarus Chakwera and economists have described the fallen Professor Ben Kaluwa as a great academician and extraordinary economist who contributed greatly to the country’s development.

Kaluwa was last week rushed to Mwaiwathu Private Hospital in Blantyre, where he died yesterday morning, after experiencing shortness of breath, according to his family.

In mourning the economist, the President said he alongside First Lady Monica Chakwera were saddened by the his death.

Through a statement issued by State House press office, the President said: “Professor Kaluwa’s devotion to Malawi through his social commentary and scholarship on economic matters shaped not only the many students he mentored and equipped, but also the progressive economic policies of the country.

“His demise is, therefore, a colossal loss to all Malawians. We join the University of Malawi [Unima] and the bereaved family in mourning his passing.”

Economics Association of Malawi executive director Frank Chikuta said Kaluwa trained many people in the country and will be greatly missed.

He said: “He was ready to comment and advise on economic matters of the country. He has trained quite a number of economists and as a teacher; he will leave an indelible mark in the hearts of his students.

“The gap he has left will never be filled. However, we are happy that such a great academician lived among us.”

Unima economics lecturer Exley Silumbu said Kaluwa, who retired from Chancellor College 10 years ago but was still lecturing on part-time basis, was a friend and colleague who contributed greatly to human capital in the field of economics in the country.

He said: “I met Kalua about 50 years ago when we were both students at the Chancellor College. He was a colleague, a friend, an educator and a great researcher who imparted knowledge to a lot of people. It is such a great loss.”

Writing on his Facebook wall yesterday, Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences associate professor of economics Betchani Tchereni described Kaluwa as an extraordinary economist teacher, researcher and thought leader.

He wrote: “My heart bleeds, who is going to tell the truth to power regarding economic management for this ailing economy… Titani ife tsopano kopanda inu kuno ku dziko [What shall we now do without you around in this world].

“Rest well my mentor, you who has taught them all! Africa will miss you, Malawi will miss you Professor Ben Kaluwa, yes the Scottish one!”

On his part, Unima vice-chancellor Professor Samson Sajidu said the university benefited a lot from him as he taught, supervised and mentored almost everyone currently teaching in the Department of Economics and many more who are working within the country and abroad.

He said Kaluwa published a lot of scholarly articles in his field in internationally peer reviewed journals and served in a number of government task forces on issues of socio-economic development of the nation.

“Kaluwa was kind and generous, always trying to help others, fun to work with, had a good sense of humour. He had excellent leadership and organisational skills. He was also a very practical professor,” said Sajidu.

Kaluwa obtained his bachelor of social science from Unima in 1976 and joined the university the same year as teaching assistant.

He obtained a master’s of economics in 1979 at the University of East Anglia in England and a PhD in economics in 1986 from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland under the Commonwealth Scholarship.

Kaluwa rose through the ranks at Unima and was promoted to full professor in 1995.

He retired from the University in February 2013 upon reaching 60 and went on with lecturing on contract basis.

In an interview, the deceased’s nephew Khumbo Kaluwa said the professor died early yesterday while under assessment at the hospital for shortness of breath.

Kaluwa will be buried today in Zomba, Khumbo said.

He is survived by a wife and two children.