Nancy Tembo

Nancy Tembo is a Malawian politician and serves as Minister of Forestry and Natural Resources in the Malawi Government. She is also a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Lilongwe City South West constituency in the National Assembly of the Republic of Malawi. She run as an independent candidate after bungled 2018 MCP primary elections and went on to secure a landslide victory in the 2019 Malawi Parliamentary Elections. [1][2] She was the voice of the MCP (then the main opposition) during the Bingu wa Mutharika Presidency (2009-2012). She was detained and badly beaten along with protest leaders such as Billy Mayaya and Undule Mwakasungula during the infamous Protests on July 20, 2011 where 22 people were killed by security forces.[3] She was the chairperson of the Parliamentary SubCommittee on reproduction [2] and she also chaired The African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC)-Malawi during her first term as Member of Parliament (2004-2009).[4][5]

Personal Life

Nancy Tembo was born in 1959, in Mangochi, Malawi from Monica Msosa (née Minofu) and Noel Golden Grey Msosa. She comes from Malindi, Mangochi. She studied at St. Mary’s Secondary School and Chancellor College. She is married to Morgan Tembo, a chartered accountant and economist who served as Finance Director of Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company before retiring in 2009. Together they have 6 children. Her husband is the nephew of veteran politician John Zenas Ungapake Tembo (Former President Kamuzu Banda's trusted confidant and State Minister) and a first cousin to former Official Hostess (then a de facto First Lady) Mama Cecilia Tamanda Kadzamira.

Political Career

Nancy began her political career in 2004 when she ran for MP for Lilongwe City South West Constituency and won. During this term she also served as Publicity Secretary and Spokesperson for the Malawi Congress Party. In 2009 when she ran for her second term she lost to a DPP candidate. In 2012 she was appointed a Commissioner for the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) and served until 2015. During the controversial 2014 General elections, she led an MEC commissioner revolt seeking electoral justice and demanding a recount of votes before a winner was announced. The recount failed based on a legal technicality and former President Peter Mutharika was announced the winner much to the disgruntlement of many. In 2018 she ran in the MCP primaries in her former constituency. On the day of the primaries she was announced the winner and her rival Rhino Chiphiko and his supporters quietly left the venue through the back gate. The same day some media reports were announcing Chiphiko as the winner and the MCP also announced him as the winner about a week later. This dispute led to Hon. Tembo running on an independent ticket where she won with a landslide of 25,000+ votes. She resoundingly beat all candidates from DPP and UTM including her MCP rival Chiphiko who came in 3rd position.

After her victory, she immedietely engaged herself in the fight for electoral justice seeking the nullification of the 2019 Presidential elections. She joined colleagues in the Tonse Alliance and their efforts led to the birth of the 3rd Republic and election of Lazarus Chakwera as Malawi's 6th President.

She was appointed as Minister in President Chakwera's inaugural cabinet and sworn in on 10 July 2020.

References
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 26, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 30, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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