BLANTYRE, Malawi: Malawi’s newly elected President Peter Mutharika married his long-term partner in a colourful ceremony before local dignitaries in a jam-packed Blantyre church yesterday.
Dressed in a silver grey suit, the smiling 74-year-old exchanged rings and vows with former lawmaker Gertrude Maseko, 54, telling the new First Lady that he was giving her the ring as a “symbol of everlasting love.”
Mutharika has been a widower for three decades since the death of his first wife. He has three children from that marriage.
The president had wanted the wedding to be private and insisted the costs, running to $100,000, were to borne by the family and no state resources apart from security would be used.
The couple abandoned plans to travel in an open-top car because of a persistent drizzle.
AFP
