BLANTYRE. — Malawi’s newly-elected President Peter Mutharika on Saturday married his long-term partner in a colourful ceremony before local ...
BLANTYRE. — Malawi’s newly-elected President Peter Mutharika on Saturday married his long-term partner in a colourful ceremony before local dignitaries at St Michaels and All Angels Church in Blantyre. His two daughters, Monique and Moyenda who reside in the United States also graced the happy occasion.
Dressed in a silver grey suit, the smiling 74-year-old exchanged rings and vows with former lawmaker Gertrude Maseko (54), telling the new First Lady that he was giving her the ring as a “symbol of everlasting love.”
The president had wanted the wedding to be private and insisted the costs be borne by the family and no state resources apart from security would be used. Scores of Malawians, watched over by police who mounted a tight security operation, had gathered shortly after dawn outside the small but historic Protestant church built by missionaries in the early 1900s.
The bride, wearing a white wedding dress and holding a bouquet of white and yellow flowers, promised to be a “loving, faithful and dutiful wife until God shall separate us by death.”
The couple abandoned plans to travel in an open-top car through Blantyre to the presidential palace because of a persistent drizzle.
About 6 000 villagers and dignitaries will be treated to a reception feast with traditional dancing at Mutharika’s village in southern Malawi, 40 kilometres from Blantyre, the commercial capital.
Mutharika, lost his first wife 30 years ago, and he has three children from that marriage.
The wedding came weeks after his inauguration as the country’s fifth president following his victory in the May 20 tripartite elections. — Agencies.
Dressed in a silver grey suit, the smiling 74-year-old exchanged rings and vows with former lawmaker Gertrude Maseko (54), telling the new First Lady that he was giving her the ring as a “symbol of everlasting love.”
The president had wanted the wedding to be private and insisted the costs be borne by the family and no state resources apart from security would be used. Scores of Malawians, watched over by police who mounted a tight security operation, had gathered shortly after dawn outside the small but historic Protestant church built by missionaries in the early 1900s.
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| Mutharika ties the knot |
The couple abandoned plans to travel in an open-top car through Blantyre to the presidential palace because of a persistent drizzle.
About 6 000 villagers and dignitaries will be treated to a reception feast with traditional dancing at Mutharika’s village in southern Malawi, 40 kilometres from Blantyre, the commercial capital.
Mutharika, lost his first wife 30 years ago, and he has three children from that marriage.
The wedding came weeks after his inauguration as the country’s fifth president following his victory in the May 20 tripartite elections. — Agencies.
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