Mary Nangwale

Mary Nangwale (née Mvula; 27 March 1953 – 18 September 2016) was a Malawian police officer and diplomat. Appointed as Malawi's Inspector General in September 2004, she spent seven months in the role prior to a vote by the National Assembly that rejected her appointment. Nangwale is therefore recognised as the first woman to serve in the highest office of the Malawi Police Service, and the first woman to serve in an equivalent position in Southern Africa.

In 1972, Nangwale joined the Malawi Police Service as a constable. She remained in the service for over 30 years.

Inspector General Appointment: 2005 On 6 September 2004, Malawi's president Bingu wa Mutharika selected Nangwale to become Malawi's first female Inspector General. She would be the first woman to serve in an equivalent position in Southern Africa.

President Mutharika had come to power after defecting from the United Democratic Front to form his own party the previous year. Within this political context, Mutharika's former party cooperated with the official opposition, the Malawi Congress Party, in order to block Nangwale's appointment. On 30 March 2005, the National Assembly voted to reject Nangwale 88 votes to 83. Following the National Assembly's decision to block Nangwale's appointment, Linda Ziyendammanja, speaking on behalf of the Malawi Law Society, assessed that Nangwale had been "rejected because of political jockeying". The service ran until 2016, when it was briefly discontinued; it was reintroduced in November 2025.

Nangwale also oversaw the introduction of a mandatory training manual on human rights that police officers in the country would be expected to learn from. In her foreword for the manual, Nangwale wrote: "I believe that the implementation of this human rights training comes in at an opportune time when we are desirous of fulfilling our aspirations of becoming more humane and responsive police service... I say this on the basis of my firm belief that in countries where human rights are constitutionally protected, the relationship between the police and the citizenry can more easily be of co-operation and support."

Diplomatic representative Shortly after the court's decision, Nangwale accepted a position as a senior diplomat at Malawi's High Commission in London.

Death Nangwale died of kidney failure at Mwaiwathu Hospital on 18 September 2016. She received full police honours at her funeral, which was held at Living Waters Church. Survived by two children, she was buried at Limbe Cemetery.