Mutharika burial set for April 23 in Malawi

LILONGWE, Apr 10 – Malawi’s late president Bingu wa Mutharika will be buried on April 23 at his sprawling farm outside the nation’s commercial hub Blantyre, a foreign ministry official said on Tuesday.

Mutharika’s remains are set to return on Thursday from South Africa, where he was airlifted following his fatal heart attack on April 5, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Visitations will be held in Blantyre, the capital Lilongwe and the northern town of Mzuzu, he told AFP.

The burial will take place on April 23, the last of 10 days of national mourning declared by Malawi, in Thyolo district outside Blantyre.

“We are targeting to invite presidents from SADC and Comesa” for the burial, the official said.

Mutharika was once secretary general of the 19-member Common Market for Easter and Southern Africa (Comesa). The 15-nation Southern African Development Community is the main regional bloc.

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