JB’s sister is Education Ministry’s PS

Malawi Government has appointed educationist Dr. Anjimile Mtila-Oponyo as principal secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

This brings the number of PSs in the ministry to four.

Mtila-Oponyo, who has worked at the United Nations (UN) office in New York for many years, reported for duties at the ministry’s Capital Hill headquarters on Monday this week, according to spokesperson Lindiwe Chide.

“She reported yesterday [Monday] as PS for Basic and Secondary Education,” said the PRO.

Chide said the ministry now has four PSs, including controlling officer and secretary for Education, Science and Technology John Bisika, secretary for the Malawi Universities Development Programme Dr. MacPhail Magwira and secretary for Higher Education Lonely Magareta.

Mtila-Oponyo, who is sister to President Joyce Banda, recently worked as chief executive officer for the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls, a $15 million school that US pop star Madonna had pledged to build in Lilongwe.

Madonna later abandoned the project.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is one of the largest government departments, including Health and Agriculture, among others.