Her funeral took place at the Mutharikas farm in Thyolo, a tea growing district in southern Malawi.Following her death it was revealed that she had received cancer treatments in Malawi, South Africa and France, as well as a number of other European and Asian nations.
Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe, led the retinue of foreign dignitaries, who also included Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, Zambian President Rupiah Banda, Botswana and Zambian First Ladies, Mozambican Prime Minister Aires Ali, Swazi Deputy Prime Minister, former Taiwanese Prime Minister, COMESA Secretary-General Sindiso Ndema Ngwenya, ambassadors from Nigeria, Norway and South Africa, Kenyan cabinet ministers and the Zambian-based Chewa King Gawa Undi as well as hundreds of government and ruling party officials and local Malawians.
Clergy at the First Lady's funeral called on the country's political leaders to unite in order to honour Mutharika.
In his sermon, based Luke 13: 6 - 9, Reverend Reynold Mangisa said it was high time political leaders changed and carried on with the unity started by the First Lady's death.
Leader of Opposition, John Tembo, who spoke on behalf of the opposition political parties, said the death of Madam Mutharika, which he described a tragedy since it robbed Malawi of the mother of the nation, should serve as a symbol of unity for now and forever.
[4] The opulent structure was built about 30 kilometres away from the commercial city of Blantyre in Thyolo in her honour.