BLANTYRE – The Malawian government says two high-ranking cabinet ministers and two other high-ranking politicians died on Tuesday after succumbing to Covid-19.
The deaths followed cabinet meetings and other gatherings attended by politicians during the Christmas period, but officials did not disclose, where the victims were infected.
A government spokesperson disclosed that the Minister of Local Government Linson Berekanyama and Minister of Transport Sidik Mia died early Tuesday of the disease.
The two were senior members of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), the most important partner of a coalition, which toppled former leader Peter Mutharika in the second round of elections in June last year and brought President Lazarus Chakwera to the throne.
Transport minister Sidik Mia, a deputy president for the Malawi Congress Party had been considered a possible successor to Chakwera and his death is a huge loss for the MCP party and the nation of Malawi in particular.
