Goodall Gondwe celebrates 85th birthday, to officially resign from DPP at convention

Revered Malawian economist and former Minister of Finance, Goodall Edward Gondwe, on Wednesday, 1st December, 2021, quietly celebrated his 85th birthday at his Lilongwe residence, surrounded by family, friends and senior officials from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Gondwe born on this day in 1936 still serves as DPP’s Vice President for the Northern Region.

He told Nyasa Times that he was graciously enjoying in his birthday and was visited by, among others, former Transport Minister Jappie Mhango and Khwauli Msiska.

“There is nothing really big happening on my big day, today. All my children are abroad. I am with my wife at home surrounded by these wonderful colleagues, sharing old pleasantries,” said a very jovial Gondwe.

As an economist, he served in the cabinet of Malawi as Minister of Finance from 2014 to 2019. Previously, he was Minister of Finance from 2004 to 2009, Minister of Local Government from 2009 to 2010, and Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Affairs from 2011 to 2012.

Gondwe was director of the Africa Division of the International Monetary Fund before returning to Malawi to work as a politician. In the period leading up to his election as Member of Parliament, he served as the Chief Economic Advisor to President Bakili Muluzi.

In 2008 Gondwe was voted as Africa’s Finance Minister of the Year at the African Banker Awards, held at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington DC, USA.

In July this year, Gondwe announced that he was resigning from his position in DPP and retiring from active politics “to pave the way for young people to lead the party”.

He said then that he has done his part, adding it is high time others served Malawians with love and passion just as people say he has done.

However, on Wednesday, Gondwe maintained that he will officially leave the mantle at the party’s convention to be held at an unknown date to be decided by former President Peter Mutharika.

“Until then. But even now, I am no longer active on my position in the party. I am not active in any way,” he said.

He has been called the “Engine Room for Malawi economic achievements” after spearheading the exponential growth during the Bingu wa Mutharika first term presidency.

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