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Sidik Mia (4 March 1965 – 12 January 2021) was a Malawian businessman, politician, and Member of Parliament who held various ministerial positions within the Cabinet of Malawi beginning in 2004, serving as Minister of Transport and Public Works since June 2020. He was the Deputy President of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) until his death due to COVID-19 related illness on 12 January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi. He stood as the vice presidential running mate to Dr. Lazarus Chakwera in the 2019 Malawian general election.

Early life

Sidik Mia was born in 1965 in Chikwawa. He went on to obtain a diploma in Business Management. Upon completion, he subsequently established a number of businesses within Malawi and built a network of wealthy business partners who he would later on persuade to become major donors to the Democratic Progressive Party.

Sidik Mia's Father, Abdul Wahab Sidik Mia was born in Nsanje, Marka. Business tycoon and philanthropist, he had been influential in the politics of Nyasaland and later on Malawi (mostly in the lower shire and later on nationwide).

Apart from being a Politician, Hon. Sidik Mia also loved being with people from all walks of life. He paid for educational fees for many underprivileged students and also assisted a lot of vulnerable citizens through his charity program. He was also a religious person, a very devout Muslim.

Political life

Sidik Mia was elected a Member of Parliament for Chikwawa-Nkombedzi constituency in May 2004 in Malawi's southern district of Chikwawa and was appointed Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Food Security in June 2004. In 2005 he was in turn Deputy Minister of Mines, Natural Resources and Environment, Deputy Minister of Transport and Public works and Minister of irrigation and Water Development. He held this last position from September 2005 until March 2009. Mia was reelected in the May 2009 general elections on the Democratic Progressive Party ticket. In the cabinet that became effective on 15 June 2009, he was appointed Minister of National Defense. After the cabinet reshuffle of 9 August 2010, he became Minister of Transport and Public Infrastructure.

Following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika and succession of Joyce Banda, Sidik Mia along with 18 other colleagues of the Democratic Progressive Party announced they were to support Joyce Banda as President of the Republic. This followed the constitutional crisis in which the National Governing Council of the Democratic Progress Party, of which Mia was a senior member, had resolved to contend to the Supreme Court that Joyce Banda was ineligible to succeed Mutharika as President.

In January 2014 Sidik Mia resigned from the People's Party (PP) and from his cabinet post as Minister for Transport. He joined the Malawi Congress Party in 2017 and became the presidential running mate to its leader, Lazarus Chakwera.

Death

Sidik Mia died on 12 January 2021 from Covid 19. He was laid to rest at his home in Nsanje. He is survived by his wife, MP Abida Mia.

References

1. "Malawi declares state of disaster as two ministers die of COVID-19". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
2. ^ "Cabinet Profiles – June 2010". Best of Malawi. Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
3. "Malawi's 43 member cabinet list as unveiled by President Mutharika". Nyasa Times. 17 June 2009. Archived from the original on 10 February 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
4. "Malawi cabinet as of August 9, 2010" (PDF). Government of Malawi. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
5. Patrick Maulidi (7 April 2012). "Yunus Mussa, 17 DPP MPs Vow to Support JB". Zodiak Malawi. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
6. Rex Chikoko (7 April 2012). "Vice President ineligible – Malawi Cabinet". Africa Review. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
7. Tom Sangala (15 July 2017). "Sidik Mia joins MCP, Chakwera says DPP days numbered". The Times. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
8. Somba, Janet (12 January 2021). "Ministers Sidik Mia and Belekanyama dies from Covid19". www.247malawi.com.

• 2021 deaths
• 1965 births
• Defence ministers of Malawi
• Government ministers of Malawi
• Democratic Progressive Party (Malawi) politicians
• Malawian politicians of Indian descent
• Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Malawi
• People from the Southern Region, Malawi
• Members of the National Assembly (Malawi)