Patricia Shanil Muluzi
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Patricia Shanil Muluzi | |
|---|---|
| First Lady of Malawi | |
| In role 1999–2004 | |
| President | Bakili Muluzi |
| Preceded by | Annie Chidzira Muluzi |
| Succeeded by | Ethel Mutharika |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Patricia Fukulani 25 September 1964 Malawi |
| Died | 10 June 2024 (aged 59) Chikangawa Forest Reserve, Malawi |
| Cause of death | Plane crash |
| Political party | United Democratic Front (Malawi) |
| Spouse | Bakili Muluzi (1987, div. 2011) |
| Profession | School teacher |
Patricia Shanil Muluzi MP (born Patricia Fukulani, latterly Shanil Dzimbiri; 25 September 1964 – 10 June 2024) was First Lady of Malawi and wife of former President Bakili Muluzi.
Early life[edit]
Muluzi was born in Malawi on 25 September 1964.[1] Her parents, David and Sylvia Fukulani were from the Chimpikizo Village in the Traditional Authority Nsamala in Balaka district.[1][2]
Marriage[edit]
Although the couple had been married in 1987 and when Muluzi was running for Presidency, she lived secretly and out of the public eye. After Bakili Muluzi became president in 1994, she lived in a presidential residence near Zomba.[3] She made her first public appearance a day before the wedding.
The wedding took place in Malawi on October 9, 1999.[4] Their lavish public wedding caused much criticism because the President's economic policies had led to a downturn in the economy. It included 3,000 guests,[3] including Presidents Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Frederick Chiluba of Zambia, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique, Pierre Buyoya of Burundi, and King Mswati III of Swaziland.[3] During the wedding 29 cows were slaughtered. Free beer, food, and live music were made available in several hotels at cost to the state. The wedding was estimated to have cost 15 million kwacha ($335,000). The head of the wedding committee, Dumiso Mulani, noted though that the president had spent some five million kwacha of his own money. The opposition however, boycotted the event, and many mailed back their invitations in what Hetherwick Ntaba, secretary of the Malawi Congress Party and Alliance for Democracy called "the plunder of public money".[3]
Family[edit]
She had five children with Bakili Muluzi, twins, Carlucci and Edna born in 1988, followed by Zake born in 1989 and then Lucy born in 1990, finally with Tiyamike born in 1992. She was married to Muluzi in 1987 and became his second wife. As Muslims, Muluzi was married to Annie Muluzi at the time they got married and they were in a polygamous marriage arrangement. She became the second First Lady when Muluzi was elected president. Muluzi divorced his first wife, and the official First Lady, though in 1999 and remarried Patricia Muluzi in a lavish symbolic public nikkha ceremony that was criticized due to its cost in order to make her the official First Lady of Malawi. In 2011, Shanil announced that she was ending her marriage due to undisclosed reasons.[5]
Career[edit]
She was a school teacher.[citation needed] Dzimbiri represented Balaka West in the National Assembly of Malawi from 2014.[6][7] In 2019, she unsuccessfully ran for parliament in Lilongwe.[8]
Death[edit]
On 10 June 2024, Muluzi was among 10 people who disappeared after an aircraft carrying Vice-President Saulos Chilima disappeared from radar in Chikangawa Forest Reserve in Mzimba District while on their way to attend the funeral of former government minister Ralph Kasambara, prompting a search and rescue operation.[9] Their aircraft was found to have crashed the next day, with authorities confirming the deaths of Muluzi and everyone else on board.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Ligomeka, Brian (23 April 2003). "Malawi: Madame Patricia Shanil Muluzi: Humble Lady With a Mission to Serve the Needy". Retrieved 14 June 2023.
- ^ "Shanil Muluzi joins People's Party". www.nyasatimes.com. 2012-06-11. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
- ^ a b c d "Africa | Malawi's president weds". BBC News. 1999-10-09. Retrieved 2011-10-05.
- ^ "Wall hanging commemorating the marriage of Bakili Muluzi and Patricia Shanil Fukulani Dzimbiri". oregondigital.org. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
- ^ RALPH TENTHANI (2010-09-18). "Ex-president's public, private blues dominate news". Maravipost.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-07. Retrieved 2011-10-05.
- ^ "Site Under Maintenance".
- ^ Chimjeka, Rebecca (15 June 2014). "Big Interview: Shanil Dzimbiri". mwnation.com.
- ^ Mitumba, Flora (2019-05-23). "Former First Ladies fail to win Parliamentary Seats". Face of Malawi. Retrieved 2023-09-08.
- ^ "Saulos Chilima: Malawi vice-president's plane goes missing". BBC. 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
- ^ "Saulos Chilima: Malawi VP's plane found with no survivors, president says". BBC. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
- 1964 births
- 2024 deaths
- First ladies and gentlemen of Malawi
- Malawian women in politics
- Members of the National Assembly (Malawi)
- 21st-century Malawian women politicians
- 21st-century Malawian politicians
- People from Balaka District
- 2020s missing person cases
- Formerly missing people
- Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2024
- Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Africa