Bingu wa Mutharika

==Death==
Mutharika died on 5 April 2012 at the age of 78.<ref name="nyasatimes1">{{cite news |url=http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/04/05/malawi-president-bingu-wa-mutharika-dies-exclusive/ |work=Nyasa Times |title=Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika dies |date=5 April 2012 |access-date=5 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407005635/http://www.nyasatimes.com/malawi/2012/04/05/malawi-president-bingu-wa-mutharika-dies-exclusive/ |archive-date=7 April 2012  }}</ref><ref name=r20120406>{{cite news|title=Malawi President Mutharika dead: government sources|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malawi-president-idUSBRE83504E20120406|date=6 April 2012|work=Reuters|access-date=30 June 2017|archive-date=2 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702232127/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/06/us-malawi-president-idUSBRE83504E20120406|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/06/world/africa/malawi-president/index.html |publisher=CNN |title=President of Malawi dies after heart attack|date=5 April 2012 |access-date=5 April 2012}}</ref> He suffered a heart attack and was reportedly flown to a South African hospital due to power outages in Lilongwe.<ref name=r20120406/> The media reported "chaotic scenes" after his wife, Callista, and other cabinet members were leaving the hospital. His condition was initially announced as "critical", and police were deployed throughout the capital with 15 Army officers posted at the Vice-President's residence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/04/201245175737562122.html|title=Malawi president 'in critical condition' – Africa|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=4 October 2011|access-date=6 April 2012}}</ref>

His death was officially confirmed on 7 April,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/04/201247111815207836.html |title=Joyce Banda sworn in as president of Malawi – Africa |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=4 October 2011 |access-date=9 April 2012}}</ref> the day Joyce Banda was sworn in as Malawi's first female president despite [[Malawian Constitutional Crisis 2012|controversy]] following Information and Civic Education Minister [[Patricia Kaliati]]'s statement that "the conduct of the honourable Joyce Banda in forming her own opposition party precludes her from being eligible to succeed the presidency,"<ref>{{cite web|last=Karimi|first=Faith|url=http://www.kitv.com/news/national/Banda-sworn-in-as-Malawi-president/-/8905418/10322828/-/14mg6em/-/|title=Banda sworn in as Malawi president &#124; National News – KITV Home|publisher=Kitv.com|date=5 April 2012|access-date=9 April 2012}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> while the country's security forces also wanted the constitutional order to prevail.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i0Nf2obDaNyqrpBEMUZftxE0wsVQ?docId=bdc060664dfb409aaf384dec2651a5bc|title=The Associated Press: Malawi's VP sworn in as president amid uncertainty|access-date=9 April 2012}}</ref>

The former U.S. ambassador to Tanzania [[Charles Stith]] said of Mutharika that he was "unwavering in his commitment to improve the plight of Malawi's poor" and that he was "one of Africa's most courageous and conscientious leaders."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.boston.com/2012-04-07/news/31305448_1_president-bingu-wa-mutharika-malawi-stith |title=BU African center chief mourns Malawi's president |work=Boston Globe |access-date=9 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410203708/http://articles.boston.com/2012-04-07/news/31305448_1_president-bingu-wa-mutharika-malawi-stith |archive-date=10 April 2012  }}</ref>