New British envoy Navin finally jets in

UK has finally sent a new high Commissioner to Malawi, almost a year after the DPP government expelled Mr. Cockrain Dyet after he called late president Bingu wa Mutharika a dictator.

The new High Commissioner is Michael Navin once served in the British High Commission office in Lilongwe as Press Officer.

According to Minister of Foreign Affairs Ephraim Chiume the new High Commissioner arrived in Malawi on September 4 and will next week present his letters of credence to President Joyce Banda.

“This symbolises the restoration of the lost relationship with the United Kingdom. UK is a very big partner to the Malawi government,” said Chiume.

According to Chiume, Malawi’s new High Commissioner to Britain Bernard Sande will be leaving for London in due course.

Navin is replacing Fergus Cochrane-Dyet who was booted out of the country by the late President Bingu Wa Mutharika for strongly criticising his government through a leaked cable.

After expelling Mr. Dyet, Britain reacted by also driving out the country’s high commissioner there Ms. Flossie Chidyawonga.

As if that was not enough, the country’s former colonial masters and long time development partner went ahead to suspend budgetary support to the country among other things.

Following the death of late President Mutharika, ties between the two countries have evidently improved with the new Malawi Leader Joyce Banda holding a number of meetings with British officials.