Joyce Banda shines in first Zodiak radio interview after exile

Former President Joyce Banda has earned some rare praises because of her handling of a Zodiak Radio  program which exposed her brilliance in handling political tough questions.

Speaking on Sunday on Tiuzeni Zoona, Banda was calm but charming, at times shrewed, at ease but answered the questions brilliantly and with political maturity, shaking the volatile political landscape.

She showed that she might have been out for four good years but not politically.

Asked her next move politically, she calmly answered:”I have just arrived therefore let me take my time before I tell people my next move.”

Pressed to assess the perfomance of her successor president Peter Mutharika, she said she could not, accusing the reporter of soliciting insults from her to Mutharika.

“We should move away from this culture of personal attacks and insulting each other. You want me to insult the president, I will not,” she said.

Close aides say she will run for presidency in 2019.

She was asked the same question in an interview with The Nation newspaper, in which she said: “Let me answer that question in two parts. First, going into public office is a detour. People who know me, know me as somebody who has spent my life as an activist, as a development worker, as a social entrepreneur, ensuring that my fellow women and girls are empowered are building their capacity to a level where they will work side by side with our men in this country. What that did in this country and anywhere, is that people trust and love you because they see your sincerity. Then I branched out and went into public office for 10 years from 2004 to 2014. If it’s God’s wish that that is enough for me, that’s fine. I am very much at peace.

“The second part, you asked if I will continue with politics. I want you to remember that when I left the country I was president of People’s Party.  I have remained president of People’s Party. I believe in consensus so that people move forward together. Equally on that question, I believe in consensus, do I allow younger people to take over? Do I stay? That has to be discussed in my party; in the National Executive Committee [NEC] of People’s Party.

But when the journalist asked Banda  if the idea of standing again for the presidency appeal to her personally, she said: “That doesn’t matter to me. That decision cannot be mine because we Malawians know this is one country that is very democratic. Every party before going into any election holds a convention and it is the people that decide.”