President Rupiah Banda and and his wife Thandiwe Banda today laid wreaths at his late first wife Hope Mwansa Banda’s grave at Old Leopard’s Hill Cemetery in Lusaka.
President Banda also laid a wreath in memory of the late son of a South African National Congress( ANC) freedom fighter Billy Modese who died in Zambia on 28th December, 1977.
And speaking at the memorial Service of his late wife at Leopards Hill Cemetery in Lusaka today, President Banda described the occasion as special because it gave him an opportunity to be joined by his South African old friends whom he lived together with during the freedom struggle.
President Banda said the Modese family lived in Zambia during their country’s liberation struggle.
Mr. Banda further said his late wife, Hope Mwansa Banda went to school in Switzerland where his family friends such as Henry Makuku was a lecturer at the University of Switzerland adding that the Modese family grew up together with his wife in that country.
He said even when his wife Hope Mwansa Banda was sick in South Africa, the Modese family was there to render all the necessary support they could unitl at the time of the death of Mrs. Banda.
The President stated that he spent one year in South Africa when his wife was hospitalized for cancer, the disease which the President said killed his wife and added that he was looked after well by the Modese family.
And commenting on the late son of a South African National Congress Freedom Fighter Billy Modese, President Banda said Tshipo Modese, who died in 1977, died as a young man and wished Tshipo would have been alive today to see his age mates like his son Henry Banda whom he said was born almost at the same time.
He said it was sad that Tshipo died at the time when his father was busy with the liberation of South Africa during the apartheid era.
He thanked the family members both from South Africa and Zambia for having found time to pay tribute to late Tshipo Modese whom the President said died at a tender age after an illness.
President Banda’s late wife Hope Mwansa Banda was born on 29th August, 1941 and died on 11th October, 2000 in South Africa and was buried at Leopards Hill Cemetery.
Tshipo Modese, the late son of South African (ANC) freedom fighter Billy Modese was born on 28 December, 1965 in Sweden and died in Zambia after an illness on 22nd September, 1977.
The Memorial service was attended by President Banda, his wife Thandiwe, Mr. Billy Modese and his wife Olisa Modese and other family members both from Zambia and South Africa.
ZANIS
But ka Thandiwe kasha. Who does that? Sadly Thandiwe is married to a moslem husband.
May the spirit of late Mama Banda rest in eternal peace. We will never forget your extraordinary contribution to the country, society, your professional and the development of a new state called Zambia. Thank you.
I meet Hope Mwansa Banda on three occassions in the 1990s and was very impressed by her humilty. I was in New York at the time of her death and so could not attend her funeral. I am now in London at the time of her memorial service – which I am sorry to miss. She struck me as being very devoted to her husband and proud of his achievements. She would have been very impressed to see RB become President of Zambia. A humble, educated, beautiful woman is the Hope Mwansa Banda I knew.
And Your Excellency, thank you for standing with your late wife till she was called home. That is extraordinary inspirational love for couples to love their spouses even most trying times. Yours has become a model of agape love.
Thandi is a real mother. How many of you PF kaponya mothers can do that on the expense of insults and the like. Continue being nice to akulu Mphuno mum; you are a real first lady or is it second lady; some of these things we do not know them much. Safe journey to Turkey bosses. Ninga baSata does he remember all those ladies he has ditched or who have ditched him? I end here!
That so moving. My You HE find strength and courage to celebrate the life of your beautifull wife.
# 3
You are right Mama Mwansa was a very humble but hardworking intellectual with deep African mother values and spirit. Though her marriage thrived in opportunities and affluence, with her higher education shared by every sibling including Dr. Mwansa, she was still empathetic, humble, open and true to her country and family. A true African warrior she was. RB has just been blessed to be a man who marries cultured and humble women.
I wish HE strength , grace, Mercy & favour in all his endavours
Get real guys. How many people even knew who mama mwansa was? Zambia is endowed with millions of humble hard working mothers in Kanyama, Misisi, Lundazi Kazembe, Solwezi, Mpika (Yes Mpika, Sata’s area, I said it). RB never laid wreaths on her grave until he became President. Check his record. Not even a single day did he do that. Why now? What has happened?
Iwe chikala Kalos noko takufudile bwamba bobe, be polite.
Kalos, you can joke on other things but not death. Be real you re a Zambian.
Jojo, I am not joking. I am very serious. When did RB did the same thing he is doing now? Mrs Banda did not die last year. OK!
Why is Banda giving another obituary about his late wife if not looking for sympathetic votes from people like you who easily die for every word Banda utters. Why should we relive her death? Probably you MMD cadres think that she is the first woman to have died in Zambia or he is the first husband who has lost a wife. Sorry, this is a year of politics and anything out of the ordinary these politicians do shall be deemed just as such.
Kalosi, You re just another bunch of a F.O.O.L. I hope you dont die in your pedigree
Jojo, amano yapwa. Discuss issues and state your point. If you cannot debate. Just go and sing kumbaya for RB. Calling me names does not only reflect on who you are, but also how you were raised.
Whatever RB’s motives for this occassion, I think its an honorable thing that he took time to remember his late wife.
We shall always treasure her memories in our daily lives. She was such a mother to all. The Lord took but in Heaven she is resting in Peace. AMEN
Banda is a painful joke, we all know hope died not of cancer alone but also of a broken heart. The man cheated on his wife with many women and even sired “abana bamufwani”. We all know he is using her now even in death to gunner votes from Bembas by emphasizing her name was Hope MWANSA. This is disgusting and deserves condemnation from all right minded men and women. It was also like going to his birthplace, Gwada in Rhodesia to say thank to those Goregores and donate us$200,000 of our grudas to Gwadese people. Banda can be very childish sometimes.
Oh this is touching from RB and Thandiwe.you can tell everything said was from the heart unlike what some low level LT bloggers would like us to believe.What does anyone care if RB never invited cameras to show him honouring his late wife in the past.Gee the level of thinking of some bloggers amazes me.They see politics in everything.Its nice to hear though that the late Mrs Banda was a good humble woman.Its even humbling to see Thandiwe standing by her hubby at his first wife’s grave.
Kalos2121
This is not the first time that RB has had a memorial for his late wife. He has done this on a number of occasions. The only difference is, now that he is now a president, he cannot do this without everyone knowing. Last year he had another memorial for his late wife at his son’s resident and he invited the Makulu Family and Thandiwe’s family.
Bwana, Chill Out… the next time it will be a member of your family….
But then who does not know what a PF muppet Kalos2121 is? you who try to debate with him have a lot time to spare.
Kolos2121, you are a petty guy who want always to bring irrevance in important issues.The President was honouring his former wife and we thank him for that.Its not the first time to do that,he has done that before,i have been there.Ask your gay President sata how ladies have ditched him and grabbed property from them that he had bought for them.Be real with issues iwe ci gay
Mama Hope Mwansa Makulu was dearly loved by HE RB its only that when youare someone cameras follow you in what ever you do or where ever you go. RB memorials every year since the wife died I am telling you the truth Kalos 2121 RB’s young brother is my neighbour in Lusaka he has been going every year for the memorial. Kambako vina ukasoba chokamba death is painful.
Leave RB to remember his Hope Mwansa in peace, long live RB one Zambia one nation like it or not RB rules and shall do so for another five years! Mwebwe ba kolwe put up or shut up!
Sorry Hon Sata you are a good organiser’ but not president material
No Tonga shall ever rule Zambia as long you have Tongas people party lead by under 5 loser HH
#22
whalasa Tongas people’s party AKA HH,s party shall never come into power keep herding the cows now
22 Mususu. Are you part of the Drug Addicted Kalenga Family……
Mushroom, you sound odd my dear. You sound like you are telling me that I have never experienced death in my family. My dear, death is just a natural phenomena. It even touched Jesus, just in case you have forgotten. Tell me what you think is new about death. My family did not just mushroom yesterday. At least you just did, going by your name.
Not an easy experience for anyone Mr. President.
Look to the Lord to heal the wound no one can share with you. All we can offer you are our prayers.
Abo kalebafwa, why remember her when you are married to another woman? Ba Thandi nabo babikapo namaluba. ine teti. Kuti pafwa insofu for me to do that.
May Her Soul Rest In Peace.
But all these years he never had a memorial, only this year when he is a president.
The late wife was almost twice Thandiwe’s age..so what made the old man to go for a young girl? Also Thandiwe ali na courage to escort RB to lay a wreath on his late wife’s grave? how ?: i stop here ninga kambe zambili
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MHSRIP. My heartfelt condolonces to you Mr President. In memory of your late wife, please make wiser decesions in future.
This memorial thing is supposed to be a private family affair. Like others have asked, ‘Why all the publicity and why this year?’ Is it election strategy to gain public sympathy?
Surely first time in last two years this memorial has been publicised. She is dearly missed by the surviving spouse,and, I hope the publicity is not for political expediency! MHSRIP.
I get sick of the rhetoric, H.E… PRESIDENT.. Banda, he is former president please, always remember to put former, Zambia can only have on president at time!!!
Imwe ba LT get the spellings for names its Modise how is that if it Banda then you Bwamba????