Malawi President to shut down Joyce Banda Foundation school after attack

Malawi President Joyce Banda, who also owns an educational institution Joyce Banda Foundation in the commercial capital Blantyre, has said she has instructed school’s administration to close down the school as a measure to protect the learners from possible attacks by political hoodlums.

Pupils from some schools in Blantyre on Wednesday descended on the institution pelting stones at the buildings and disrupted classes in protest against public teachers’ boycott of classes.

Teachers in public schools in Malawi had joined the civil servants strike on Monday, demanding a 67 percent pay hike. The strike ended on Friday after government bowed down to demands of public-workers demand for a pay hike.

Speaking during a news conference at top-hill presidential Sanjika Palace in Blantyre on Saturday after her arrival from the Equatorial Guinea, P resident Banda said she was very sorry with the students at Joyce Banda Foundation who were the victims on issues which they were not party to.

“My biggest fear is that these children have been traumatized and most of the children are orphans. If I get the slightest indication that by having children in that school, they can stand the danger of being assaulted I will be very much touched seeing one of the students being attacked,” said Banda.

President Banda: Saddened
President Banda: Saddened

Banda also said she is worried that the protestors targeted only her school ignoring other private schools whose students were learning.

“I have therefore instructed the family running the school to close down the school because it is better for us to protect the children by letting them learn in other schools keeping them at the school which is targeted by political hoodlums,” she said.

President Banda said she also made similar suggestion sometime back when one of the country’s presidents she did not mention was contemplating to close down her school on political grounds, saying the decision was thwarted after family members reasoned with her not to close the school.

“What people should know is that I don’t make any profits out of that school. I am running that schools just to enable the needy to have access to higher education similar to that taught at Kamuzu Academy, “she said.

The President clearly said she was sad with the attack on her school.

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