George Chaponda
| Honourable George Chaponda MP | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation | |
|
Assumed office 19 June 2014 | |
| President | Peter Mutharika |
| Preceded by | Ephraim Chiume |
| Member of Parliament for Mulanje South West | |
|
Assumed office 2004 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
1 November 1942 Chonde Village, Nyasaland |
| Nationality | Malawian |
| Political party | Democratic Progressive Party |
| Alma mater |
University of Delhi University of Zambia Yale University (J.S.D) |
Dr. George T. Chaponda (born 1 November 1942) is a Malawian diplomat and politician who has served as Malawi's Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2014. Previously, under President Bingu wa Mutharika, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2005, and subsequently as Minister of Local Government, Minister of Education, and Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs.[1]
Early life
Born in Chonde Village, Mulanje District, Chaponda studied at the University of Delhi from 1963 to 1968 where he received degrees in history and political science. He studied law at the University of Zambia from 1976 to 1979 and at Yale University from 1980 to 1984. He was admitted to the Bar in 1980.[2]
Career
He held a number of senior positions in Zambia including Chief Executive of a parastal organisation. From 1984 to 2002, he worked mostly as a senior lawyer for the Office for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Somalia, Kenya, Thailand, Bangladesh, Switzerland, Austria, Poland and Ethiopia. From 2003-2004 he was Chairman of the University Council of the University of Malawi. In 2004 Chaponda entered Malawian politics and was elected as a Member of Parliament for the Mulanje South West. In June 2004, he was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of the newly elected President Bingu wa Mutharika. He served in that position until 2005, when he was appointed Minister of Local Government and Rural Development. After the elections in May 2009, he was appointed Minister of Education. In 2010 George Chaponda was appointed Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Air Fouling Legislation
In February 2011, Chaponda said that a clause in the Local Courts bill making it a misdemeanor to "vitiate the atmosphere" would criminalize flatulence to "promote decency".[3] He told the private Capital Radio's popular ‘Straight Talk’ programme: "Would you be happy to see people farting anyhow?". The story was quickly picked up by the foreign press.[4] The Solicitor General Anthony Kamanga contradicted him, saying the bill referred only to air pollution.[3] Later, Chaponda retracted his remarks, saying he had not read the proposed bill before commenting.[4]
Personal life
Chaponda is a Christian, is married and has children.
References
- ↑ "THE IRISH-AFRICAN PARTNERSHIP FOR RESEARCH CAPACITY BUILDING" (PDF). crossborder.ie. Page 4. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
- ↑ Kalinga, Owen. Historical Dictionary of Malawi. Page 75. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- 1 2 "Malawi row over whether new law bans farting". BBC. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
- 1 2 JOE CHIBEWA (4 February 2011). "Chaponda: Oops I goofed, you can fart!". Marevi Post. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
| Preceded by Lilian Patel |
Foreign Minister of Malawi 2004-2005 |
Succeeded by Davis Katsonga |