President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika today has released a statement paying respect to founding father of the Malawi nation Late Ngwazi Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
In his remarks Mutharika said: on a day like this one some 17 years ago, we lost a great statesman and founding father of the Malawi nation the late Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda at Garden City Clinic, in South Africa.
Dr. Kamuzu Banda will always be remembered as a gallant freedom fighter and a destroyer of federation (D.O.F) of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and Malawi’s first post-colonial ruler.
He laid solid foundations for the prosperity of our great nation. The four cornerstones of Unity, Loyalty, Discipline and Obedience brought together the people of Malawi for the purpose of developing this nation.
As he rests, I personally join the Kamuzu family in remembering this great son of our soil.
May his soul continue to rest in peace and may his vision continue to inspire us all to do more.
Hastings Kamuzu Banda was born in March 1898 and was laid to rest on 25 November 1997.
Banda was the leader of Malawi and its predecessor state, Nyasaland, from 1961 to 1994. After receiving much of his education overseas, Banda returned to his home country (then British Nyasaland) to speak against colonialism and advocate for independence.
In 1963, he was formally appointed prime minister of Nyasaland and led the country to independence as Malawi a year later. Two years later, he proclaimed Malawi a republic with himself as president.
He consolidated power and later declared Malawi a one-party state under the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). In 1970, the MCP made him the party’s President for Life. In 1971, he became President for Life of Malawi itself.
