Joyce Banda invited to Most Powerful Women Summit: Malawi govt hits at ex-leader
Former president Joyce Banda is among world top influential and high ranking women invited to this year’s Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit slated for October in the United States, according to a report by official news agency Mana.
Banda will be among other high ranking women such vice chairperson of Clinton Foundation Chelsea Clinton, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde, Facebook Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sheryl Sandberg, Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer and Xerox CEO Ursula Burns.
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Nollywood Actress Omotola Jelade Ekeinde expected to attend the Summit whose theme is ‘New Connected Leadership’.
Banda’s media liason officer Tusekele Mwanyongo confirmed to Malawi News Agency that Malawi’s former leader has been invited to the highly billed summit.
Meanwhile, government has issued a statement claiming that Banda is telling the international community that President Mutharika issued a directive barring the former president from attending public events.
“Government has learnt with regret and disappointment the misinformation that the former Head of State, Her Excellency Dr. Joyce Banda is making against the current administration during her current visit overseas.
“The truth is that we are all aware that a few days before the Golden Jubilee celebrations, the former president flew out of the country of her own volition. She could not attend the function simply because by then she was not in Malawi,” reads part of the statement issued Tuesday by Information, Tourism and Civic Education Ministry.
Banda left the country for United States on 29 June while the Golden Jubilee celebrations were held on July 6.
Asked to comment, Mwanyongo said he had not seen the statement and would not immediately comment.
