Kamuzu Banda told Mugabe to rule until death -report
The late former Malawi president Hastings Kamuzu Banda who ruled his country with an iron fist told President Robert Mugabe to rule until death, Zimbabwe Eye newspaper reported.
The news comes as it has been revealed that ZANU PF ministers kneel before Mugabe like women whenever they greet him.
According to a close ally of the former Malawian dictator, the two – Mugabe and Banda – met in June 1985 when Banda advised him that he must ‘enjoy the fruits of his labour’ and therefore stay in power until death.
Banda told Mugabe to emulate him and by that time, the former was still enjoying then much coveted power over his country, being Malawi’s life president.
The source said Mugabe’s ruling tactics were obviously borrowed from Banda who rallied behind the Zimbabwean president.
Banda declared himself life president of Malawi in 1974 until 1994, when he lost elections.
He said things started falling apart when Banda’s health deteriorated leading to his death in 1997.
During Banda’s reign, most Malawians fled the country at the height of Banda’s dictatorship. Many Malawians moved to Zimbabwe and South Africa.
In Mugabe’s case, millions of Zimbabweans relocated to South Africa, Botswana and overseas, as they fleed political persecution from the Mugabe regime.
Recently, Mugabe was given a further five years, by a Zanu-PF congress, to rule lead the party. That means he will stand in the next elections, probably in two years. The 85-year-old leader will be 89 when his party term as president expires. However, last year he declared that ‘only God can remove’ him.
Banda clinched power as the first President of Malawi and in 1966 he called himself “Ngwazi”, which means conqueror, and after a few years declared himself “Life President”. It was then that he extended title to read: “His Excellency The Life President (Paramount Chief) Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the Ngwazi”
In Zimbabwe, Mugabe seemed to have copied something from Banda, after assigning to himself an almost similar title – His Excellency the Head of State and Government and Commander-In-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces. He is also the chancellor of all State univesities.
Furthermore, an MDC minister has revealed that ZANU PF ministers kneel before Mugabe like women whenever they greet him.
“At first I feared there was something wrong, then looked up and there was a grinning Mugabe! Only last week, at the end of the cabinet session, Chinamasa wanted to ask Mugabe for a meeting to brief him on the inter-party negotiations. He went over and knelt down. They all kneel! You have to wonder if their wives know they kneel for another man. Mugabe has total power over them,” the minister said.
Due to his perchant for power, Banda named himself Minister of External Affairs, Minister of Defence, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Justice, Minister of Works and Supplies, Minister of Women’s and Children’s Affairs and Minister of Community Services. But at the end of his life Banda told his maid and relatives that he felt ’so lonely’ and had no friends.–
(ZimEye, Zimbabwe)
