Colleen Zamba
{{short description|Malawian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Colleen Pempho Zamba
| image = Colleen Zamba.jpg
| imagesize =
| birth_date = 24 April 1963
| birth_place = Dowa, Malawi
| office = Secretary to the President and Cabinet of Malawi
| term_start = 1 June 2022
| term_end =
| president = Lazarus Chakwera
| predecessor = Zanga-zanga Chikhosi
| successor =
| office2 =
| term_start2 =
| term_end2 =
| primeminister2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| party = Malawi Congress Party
}}
Colleen Pempho Zamba is the
Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC), Republic of Malawi.
Early life and education
Zamba was born in Dowa, Malawi, the eldest of six children of Skeffa Thom Zamba and Felestia Zamba,{{Cite web |date=2023-01-11 |title=Biography of Colleen Pempho Zamba |url=https://malawifreedomnetwork.com/2023/01/11/biography-of-colleen-pempho-zamba/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=Malawi Freedom Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240914010819/https://malawifreedomnetwork.com/2023/01/11/biography-of-colleen-pempho-zamba/ |archive-date=2024-09-14 |url-status=live}} both educators. Her father was a Malawi Congress Party Member of Parliament for Dowa South East.
She attended Lilongwe Girls Secondary School and later earned a Bachelor of Social Science in Economics from Chancellor College, University of Malawi, in 1985. Zamba studied at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, obtaining a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Policy in 1988 and a Master of Philosophy in Economic Planning in 1989, where she was named best student of the year.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-11 |title=Biography of Colleen Pempho Zamba |url=https://malawifreedomnetwork.com/2023/01/11/biography-of-colleen-pempho-zamba/#gsc.tab=0 |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=Malawi Freedom Network |language=en-US}}
Career
Zamba began her career as an economist and became Principal Secretary for Economic Affairs where she led the monitoring of Economic Program of Malawi, then Principal Secretary Debt and Aid Management where she led negotiation of Heavily Indebted Countries Malawi Decision Point. She also became Principal Secretary for Trade where she was spokesperson for Southern Africa in trade negotiations.{{Cite web |last=Ngwira |first=Robert |date=2022-06-01 |title=Meet Colleen Zamba, new SPC replacing Zanga-zanga Chikhosi |url=https://www.faceofmalawi.com/2022/06/01/meet-colleen-zamba-new-spc-replacing-zanga-zanga-chikhosi/ |access-date=2024-12-05 |language=en-US}}
In October 2021, president Lazarus Chakwera appointed Zamba head of the Presidential Delivery Unit and Chief Advisor to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and International Affairs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.faceofmalawi.com/2022/06/01/meet-colleen-zamba-new-spc-replacing-zanga-zanga-chikhosi/|title=Meet Colleen Zamba, new SPC replacing Zanga-zanga Chikhosi|first=Robert|last=Ngwira|date=2022-06-01|accessdate=2025-01-10}} On June 1, 2022, Zamba was appointed Secretary to the President and Cabinet, succeeding Zangazanga Chikhosi.{{Cite web |last=Reporter |first=Nyasa Times |date=2022-05-31 |title=Chakwera appoints Colleen Zamba as New SPC - Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi |url=https://www.nyasatimes.com/chakwera-appoints-colleen-zamba-as-new-spc/#google_vignette |access-date=2024-12-05 |website=www.nyasatimes.com |language=en-GB}} Her appointment was lauded by gender activist Emma Kaliya as a demonstration of President Chakwera's demonstration of gender equality.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-03 |title=Renowned gender activist Emma Kaliya lauds Chakwera for Zamba’s appointment as Secretary to President & Cabinet - Maravi Express - Your Kind of News. Clear and accurate. |url=https://www.maraviexpress.com/renowned-gender-activist-emma-kaliya-lauds-chakwera-for-zambas-appointment-as-secretary-to-president-cabinet/ |access-date=2025-02-03 |language=en-US}}
References
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