Malawi President cuts short state visit to Tanzania

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has cut short his official trip to Tanzania, after holding official talks with President John Magufuli, visited Malawi Cargo Centre and met some business investors in private.

Chakwera arrived in Tanzania on Wednesday for a three-day official visit and was expected to leave on Friday.

Malawi’s State House confirmed Chakwera was returning home a day earlier to attend to urgent domestic priorities.

He was seen off at the Julius Nyerere International Airport by his host President Magufuli, Foreign Affairs and International Relations minister, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, First Lady Janeth Magufuli and several other government dignitaries.

His plane left JNIA at 4:03pm, shortly after holding official talks with President John Pombe Magufuli, visited Malawi Cargo Centre and met some business investors in private.

Lilongwe State House confirmed on Thursday, October 8, 2020 that the Malawi leader was returning home a day earlier to attend demonstrations organised by women in the country against gender imbalance.

Demonstrations which would have marred Chakwera’s return were expected to be held tomorrow the day he was supposed to conclude his three day visit to Tanzania.

Presidential Press Secretary Brian Banda said Chakwera will arrive at the Kamuzu Banda International Airport in Lilongwe on Thursday afternoon.

“Yes, the President is coming back today at 4:30 pm. Initially, it was supposed to be a three-day visit but the President has other engagements back home,” Mr Banda told a local newspaper without disclosing more details.

Dr Chakwera chartered Malawian Airlines – ET – 20 on his trip to Tanzania which is scheduled to leave for Johannesburg on Friday at 09:20 am.

He chartered the same plane on his state visits to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

His Mozambican trip delayed, for hours, some passengers who were travelling to South Africa on Tuesday using the same plane.