MALAWI’s new President Joyce Banda has called for the strengthening of relations between her country and Zambia.
Mrs Banda made the call at a press conference in Lilongwe yesterday when she gave an update on the funeral and burial arrangements for President Bingu wa Mutharika.
According to a statement released by the first secretary at the Zambian High Commission in Lilongwe Chansa Kabwela, Mrs Banda told the media that she had a lengthy telephone conversation with President Sata on Monday and talked about relations between Zambia and Malawi.
Mrs Banda said much as the relations between the two countries were not severed, it was important for the two nations to cooperate because of historical ties and proximity.
“I also spoke with President Sata and he offered his condolences to the bereaved family and the people of Malawi. We both committed ourselves to the restoration of cordial diplomatic relations between our two governments,” she said.
Ms Kabwela said President Banda had dispatched Malawi’s Health minister Dr Jean Kililani to South Africa to oversee the entire process of bringing the body of President Mutharika to Malawi and the details of the burial arrangements would be announced as soon as the ministerial committee finalises its work.
The remains of the President are expected in Malawi on Thursday.
During the press conference, President Banda assured the nation that the government was working for the people, with a two-pronged approach focusing on giving President Mutharika a dignified burial and addressing the economic challenges the country is facing.
Mrs Banda said she has already had discussions with Britain, the European Union, the United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) chief executive officer Daniel Johannes, regarding Malawi’s diplomatic relations and withheld funding.
She said Malawi faced numerous economic challenges and was prepared to address the issues that led to donors withholding aid.
She said cooperating partners were ready to assist Malawi.
Last year, donors froze aid to Malawi over what they termed the country’s failure to address concerns about economic management and governance.
Malawi also expelled Britain’s envoy Fergus Cochrane-Dyet over leaked diplomatic cables.
Britain retaliated by expelling Malawi’s envoy to that country.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
Thank God, our relationship with Malawi will be ok. That’s the way ba Sata and Madam Banda
We know that RB gave millions of dollars to help his friend Mbingu buy fuel for Malawi at the height of the heat of the protests. Madam Banda, now that your donors are coming back, make arrangements to pay back the money as we are equally in need of those millions in Zambia. King Cobby, you know the drill!!!
So the president’s husband will be called ” first gentleman” lol
she is ms banda,the LT reporters are just crazy,however the husband is suppose to be called the first gentleman
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. That’s a good one ba sitcho.
kekekekeke!! guys simunvela…lmao!!!
ba sutcho, you made me laugh man………this is good!
I do not trust president Ukwa, he is likely to quarrel with the good madam one day just like he did with the late Bingu just to bring confusion.
Grow and go stick your head up HH,s stinky backside
FOOL cant you just Grow up, Your Hate will Kill you, Ma RUBISH, Call your Father Ukwa not our president You HH fool
UKWA!!
PF Mutale. Man, get a life and grow up because this hatred you have for our President, will give you a heart attack.
By the way here is something from Sky:
A hospital is under fire after an apparently stillborn baby girl has been found alive, 12 hours after she was placed in a coffin for burial.
According to the parents of the girl, who was born three months premature, they discovered their child was still breathing after she was transported to a local morgue.(Sounds familiar?)
ha ha ha the hasband to be called First Gentleman, ba sitcho just join drama.
Very impressed and u’ve made my day.
Thanks that we’re going to have good relashionship with our friends malawans.
Is she married?
And y is she Mrs Banda ?
LOL! Genius!
I personally dont like the address of the new president.first things first,she was just supposed to talk about the funeral process etc.Issues of relationship with Zambia and inticing donors could have been brought up after the funeral.Its also a big shame that after so many years of end of slavery African countries are still completely dependent on donors support.
Atleast we have China to deal with mwe lol.
@Pippa where did it happen??????
South America…Argentina, I think?
Is that Dora Siliya in sunglasses and a mini dress?
# 9 Billy, the funeral is happening on a full swing, mourning, transport, burial program and developmental programs have to be going as well…….does it mean when someone dies everything come to stand still, grow up!
@#12 Livingstone.
Are you grown up?If your UKWA dies today and everything goes on as usual before he is put to rest will that be normal to you?
#11 That is not Dora. Probably part of the Joyce`s entourage. I like that lady in black dress and white jacket. That is my size and type. Where can I find her?
Zambia should be as close as possible to Malawi and boost our close cultural,economic and political ties despite past hicupps.We are with you guys in Malawi in this moment of bereavement and wish President Joyce Banda best wishes in the tough task ahead of nation building.
LET ZAMBIA EVADE MALAWI THE SUFFERING TOO MUCH THERE BETTER A PART OF ZAMBIA THAN ALONE UKWA SEND IN TH ZNS BOYS
You think that you have gotten rid of one President Banda but before you know it another President Banda pops up. That is how good these Bandas are in rescuing their countries. I do not know if the Mulengas, the Bwalyas, the Chilufyas and such like names can be as good.
hahahahahahahahaha.
Well done Mama Banda, Yes Malawi and Zambia are One people, they also participate in N’cuwala (for Ngonis) Kulamba (Nchewas) and all Zambian traditional ceremonies in eastern province. Wamutarika had messed the relations because of RB, MHSRIP. Sata can Now visit Malawi happly. Moreover they are his Mbuyas.
Hopefully donors will not force malawi to accept homo fimofimo for them to be given money. Beware of such things your excellency madam Banda.
Iwe kanyengambeta this is my woman, so keep away. The malawian president should be called by her maiden names, what happens in the event where this relative to RB divorces her and a Mwanza Marries her, will she change the title to Her excellency JOYCE Mwanza, u know these pipo with Banda surnames like young girls
Malawi is a poor country with no economic value to Zambia. Why is Zambia so obsessed with this tiny not so useful country. If they (Malawians) need need economic help Zambia should just give them and concentrate on dealing with more powerful and useful countries. sic!
Because they are our neighbouring country my friend. And we share more similarities especially with the tribes in Eastern Province who share same traditional ceremonies. And we need to give them a helping hand whenever we can just as we do our next door neighbours in our country.
Is dealing with nackleheads across the Zambezi (magoregore) better for you?!! LOL
Many Zambians hail from Malawi and moved to work in mines during federation days. What we call Nyanja actually means people of the lake and refers to many ethnicities. And we had KK too so nothing wrong with strong cultural ties especially as a landlocked country bordering so many others.
@ Anlaysis,
Think about it. We can do away with western province and annex Malawi. With our wealth, the additional 13 million people we will get will be good because the mines and other related industries will be producing and the 13+13 = 26 million Zambians will be consuming. First things first, lets ask for the money they owe us and pick it up from there.
….that was the idea behind the Federation….a good one. Malawi (fish and tea) Zimbabwe (farming) Zambia (mining). It would have been an economic powerhouse.
# 13 Whats the meaning of your name? Did I read right? lol
Great to be back! Lessons should be learnt from Bingu’s demise, dude thought he would live forever as late as two weeks ago but alas the doorbell rang, more like is name ati biiinguu and his number was up. People, take care and good luck to the new presido!
Kunyenga in chewa means lies, mbeta is a bride,girl etc. So you can connect.
My advice 2 Joyce Banda (Malawi) Mourn first en sack them later don’t do da opposite.
@#12 Livingstone.
Are you grown up?If your UKWA dies today and everything goes on as usual before he is put to rest will that be normal to you?
God had made it that this woman would be president of Malawi. No matter what tricks the government tried; thank God for constitutions. Even in shady times they help us balance things out. Second female president of Africa.
Mrs Banda, That right there qualifies her for presidency. Married or at least tasted the vows of Matrimony. A single woman is a dangerous entity to be a president; worse still a single man.
first secretary at the Zambian High Commission in Lilongwe Chansa Kabwela: How did she get this post? Nepotism by POST news paper much!
UKWA what does that even mean I am all but lost lol?
I am a Malawian leaving in Lilongwe and I have followed keenly all the events taking place both in Zambia and Malawi. You know Malawi shares borders with three countries but when we say we have neighbours we mean Zambians because we have a lot in common. Right now President Micheal Sata has donated 5million litres of fuel to the Malawi Government. Let me express my profoung gratitude to His Exellency President Micheal Chilufya Sata for the assistance rendered to us Malawians. Let me take this opportunity to say that Malawians were not happy the way our former president depoted President Sata, May the good Lord forgive him for he knew not what he was doing. God place Zambia God bless Malawi. One Zambia one Nation
Amen. And we are with you in prayer as Zambians, but most important, as a country that equally lost a seating president in our beloved Dr Levi Patrick Mwanawasa, we mourn with you. MHSRIP.
Ditto! Well said Coachez.
You can have a multitude of neighbors even in the compounds (muma komboni) we live, but not all of them can be your GOOD NEIGHBOURS. This is the kind of situation that exists between Zambia and Malawi. Neighbors, yes! But good neighbors even better.
Well said Muyaba, and condolences for the passing of your president.
People who are calling for strengthening of ties do not understand Malawi-Zambia relations. How can family relations be strengthened? These two countries are already connected by blood! Just say some politicians who were drunk with power made mistakes in the past and this is being corrected. Simple
Everybody breathes a sigh of relief with disappearance of this fool mbingu. Both zambia and malawi have so many of those.
I would have said Malawi should repay all the money Bwezani gave them together with the millions of fuel King Cobby is dishing out but #32 Chiluba Muyaba’s comment has touched me. You Malawians can keep the money. We will continue helping out until you are on your two feet properly. If you dont mind, you can be our 11th province.
“Malawi is more concerned about resuming frozen aid” than getting this in order. This is a BIG problem in Africa. I would like to read one day that an African country is asking AU, ADB, and a regional bloc (SADC, COMESA, ECOWAS, etc) for developing and assistance rather than loans[/aid] from the west that seem to put us a worse situation with each year that passes.
Regional integration is the best way Africa to develop.
Way to go!
This power-drunk woman will be a puppet of the imperialists in the west.
Mr. Lusaka Times,
It is clear that your site like other uncensored site has been infiltrated by Government agents whose task is to provide a positive picture of the Government. You will notice that most of your writers will defend Government even where it is clearly wrong.
You were once a site of genuine opinion but this has totally changed since Government dished out laps to operatives to flood sites with propaganda.
It is incredible that people will support Government for spending K26billion on budgeted on fuel and yet UTH our referal hospital has no drugs!!