Family and friends of the late fourth republican President Rupiah Banda have described him as a selfless man who fought for the development of Zambia and the entire African region.
Speaking during the state funeral service of the late Mr. Banda at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka yesterday, the widow, Thandiwe Banda said she was blessed to have shared her life with her late husband.
Mrs. Banda said she will remember her late husband as a kind, warm and friendly person who was a father to many.
The former first lady said this in a speech read on her behalf by her close friend Alice Banda.
Mrs. Banda stated that she shared an interesting and supportive life with her late husband who always protected his family and everyone close to him.
She disclosed that she shared many memories with the late Mr. Banda, among them travelling around the world, watching soccer and listening to music together and celebrating many birthdays together.
‘’You enjoyed sharing old memories with me as we created new ones together such as travelling the world and showing me so many places as we tried out many delicacies. You were my lover, protector and husband,’’ she said.
And late Mr. Banda’s son, Dingani, described his late father as a liberal man who was open to family and friends.
Dingani said his late father was the greatest cheer leader who always celebrated his family’s achievements.
He said the late former President shared a unique father and daughter in- law relationship with his in-laws and made sure they were free to talk to him and comfortable around him.
“My father destroyed the barriers of in-laws’ relationship, he made sure that his daughters in-law felt comfortable with him and shared a unique father-daughter in-laws relationship with them,’’ he said.
And in a special tribute, late Mr. Banda’s daughter, Duniya, broke down in a song dedicated to her father.
Duniya said during the days when her father was hospitalised, she and the late Mr. Banda would together sing a song called ‘Loliwe’ done by a South African singer Zahara.
This sent the majority of the mourners in the Cathedral of the Holy Congress into tears.
Meanwhile, the late Mr. Banda’s longest childhood friend, Jacob Mwanza, described the late fourth President as a generous and modest man who started serving humanity at a very young age.
Mr. Mwanza said the late fourth head of state was a generous man who contributed to empowering various small scale farmers by giving them farming inputs.
He said the late Mr. Banda also donated materials to various schools and hospitals, a gesture which he never wanted to publicise.
“Mr. Banda was a talented modest business man and a farmer who donated fertiliser and seeds to small scale farmers and never wanted to be praised for the good that he did for others, he has left a huge gap in his family and the whole country,’’ added Mr. Mwanza.
The late Mr. Banda was born on February 19, 1937 in Gwanda, Northern Rhodesia then but now called Zimbabwe. He received his secondary education at Munali secondary school in Zambia and later studies in various universities outside Zambia.
The late Mr. Banda joined politics at a young age and actively participated during the first republican president Kenneth Kaunda’s regime.
He served as the fourth President of Zambia from 2008 to 2011, taking over from late third President Levy Mwanawasa who died as the sitting President in 2008.
The late Mr. Banda died on March 11, 2022 after suffering from colon cancer.
He is survived by a widow, Thandiwe, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
MHSRIP. I saw ECL with kz and Mr Jere. KZ what was the conversation about
Computer scientist I can not divulge private conversations. I am sure you understand. We mourned our father, that is what is important.
I learned alot from RB. Eastern and northern produced highly competent presidents. We are yet to see what the South can do
YOU SAW NOBODY LETS NOT LIE
Computer Scientist – Please ignore the UK based impostor craving for attention in someoneone’s name …I mean up to now it is using VPN which has been fixed in the UK for the past 10 years, at one time even fake Bowman had an account showing UK flag..really laughable!!
This week alone I have read countless write-ups by “Zambian columnists” about RB praising him …I swear to God when this man was alive I only read about a sentence praising in a paprgraph. I didnt know that RB was one time overseeing Nambia as a Head of State or that level of capacity when it was in transition …I wondered why they declared 2 days of national mourning. We need to stop this behavour of praising our leaders when they are gone instead consult them when they are alive …visit their residence and pick their brains on issues of international affairs. I remember how proud my grandfather would be when journalists visited his home.
Tarino try nordvpn, which lets you pick a geographical location. f00Iish boy i thought people in diaspora were technologically advanced. Muli fikopo fye. Fuseke
ZULU ZIP IT MOST ON HERE REALISE YOU A NOBODY BUT A PAID BLOGGER
YOU FUSEKE
AND DONT TALK ABOUT IT WHICH YOU KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT AS YOU DONT NEED A VPN TO CHANGE YOUR LOCATION
STUP1D
The irony in its response ..despises diaspora so much that it uses UK location for the past 5 – 8 years. It has absolutely no knowledge of how VPN works up to now…please just continue posting nonsense from your UK council flat. We know life is hard for you here…in the UK you can never make it if you are a lazy boy…word of advice.
@ Tarino Orange
“We need to stop this behavour of praising our leaders when they are gone instead consult them when they are alive “…come on, are you serious?
Ok, start consulting ECL…kaili….he is currently the only living former President. I am curious what Zambians will say about ECL when that day comes (not wishing bad though..).
BTW: He is already calling everyone hypocrites, which is divisive in itself. So that is the anointed one who we should be consulting ?
Rb was a great leader. Who would have turned zsmbian economy around and be one a great economy. It was during his rule we becomea middle income nation. Mmembe hated RB and he write bad things against him everyday. I never liked Mmembe from since then. Such bad man
general KANENE – Lazy Lungu is a disgrace not a leader
Redo – Fred Meembe hated him because he wouldnt dance to his tune and have his stooges in State House like his friend Michael.
Poor guy, he died at home-no one evacuated him so he could have a decent death in Johannesburg or India.
Sipinya Ndongo – How many times had he been going to India for treatment? I am sure the cancer was severe..evacuation would have been unnecessary.