Malawi: Former Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe dies at 87

By Joseph Dumbula.

Malawi’s former Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe died last evening at the age of 87, the Democratic Progressive Party has said.

He served in as Minister of Finance on two occasions: from 2004 to 2009, and from 2014 to 2019.

He also served as 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.

Apart from that, the economist also served as General Manager of the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Senior Vice President and Acting President of the African Development Bank (ADB), and Senior Advisor to the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He was also Chief Economic Advisor to Presidents Muluzi and Bingu wa Mutharika.

Gondwe’s impact was perhaps most profound during his terms as Malawi’s Minister of Finance. He served from 2004 to 2009, a period in which he orchestrated a transformative overhaul of Malawi’s economy.

Then, Malawi had reduced inflation from 30% in 2005 to a remarkable 6% by 2008, and the nation’s economy expanded by about 6%.

He was also famed for negotiating a contract with Paladin Energy that marked Malawi’s foray into uranium mining; turning Malawi to one of the top 10 producers of Uranium in the world during his tenure.

He also served in different cabinet ministerial roles under President Peter Mutharika between 2014 and 2019.

Goodall Gondwe was until his death the Vice President for the North for the opposition DPP which is led by Peter Mutharika.

The party has since posted on Facebook that Gondwe has left a big gap and that his roles will be missed.