Thousands of mourners on Wednesday travelled to Mwangolera Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Kyungu in Karonga to pay their last respects to one of the country’s civil society activists Catherine Munthali who died on Monday.
Speaking during the burial ceremony, presidential adviser on non-governmental organisations, Mabvuto Bamusi, who represented President Peter Mutharika, said Munthali will be remembered for her work in bringing democracy to Malawi and advocating for women’s rights.
He said the country has lost a special woman, who did a lot in pushing for equal opportunities for men and women in the country.
Said Bamusi: “Catherine Munthali was not an ordinary woman. She was among individuals that spearheaded the change from one-party State to multi-party democracy. She inspired many women and pushed for gender equality in the country and the rest of the continent.”
Munthali was one of the founding members of Alliance for Democracy (Aford) alongside the late Mapopa Chipeta, Frank Mainga Mkandawire and Chakufwa Chihana, among others.
She also formed the Society for the Advancement of Women, which played a role in fighting discrimination against women.
Born on December 22 1946, Munthali is survived by a son, a daughter and six grandchildren.
Before embarking on activism, she worked for Air Malawi.
She continued her airline career in Zambia where she worked for Kenya Airways before joining British Caledonian.
Later, she served in several of the country’s public sector boards.
