Joyce Banda says president’s age doesn’t matter: Engages extra political gear ahead of 2019 Malawi polls

As competition for State House in Malawi, ahead of the 2019, gets stiffer and much exciting,  immediate past former president and leader of People’s Party (PP) Joyce Banda, 68 says Malawians should not look at the age of aspirants but their track-record when choosing their next  leader.

Tshwee-mwan-Tshwee: Kamlepo Kalua speaking at the PP rally in Zomba
PP treasurer general Yusuf Matumula speaking at the rally
Joyce Banda ready to run in next year’s presidential elections if nominated by her party.
PP secretray general Ibrahim Matola speaking at the rally
Joyce Banda with PP leaders at Zomba Thondwe rally
PP women dancing at Zomba Thondwe rally
Part of the crowds that attended Joyce Banda rally in Zomba Thondwe

“I have listened with keen interest the ongoing age debate. My personal view is that age matters less. What is paramount is what an individual has achieved while in various leadership positions.

“For example, I was President for two years between 2012 and 2014; Malawians should be able to judge me based on what I was able to achieve and what I failed and not how old I am,” said ‘JB’, as she is popularly refereed to among her supporters.

Banda, Malawi’s first female Vice President in 2009 and President in 2012 addressed a political rally at Sambalalendo School Ground in Zomba Thondwe constituency on Friday, August 3, 2018.

She called upon her supporters to register as voters when time comes so that they can decide what sort of future they want to have in 2019.

“Your future and your destiny lie in your own hands. You can listen to all political rhetoric by us, politicians, but you should be able to make the right decision based on the achievements of individual politicians and their respective political parties,” she said.

Banda said Malawians should not lose their willpower to remember the many people-centred policies that her PP administration pursued between 2012 and 2014, including a housing scheme under which she championed the provision of low-cost houses to the underprivileged, farm input subsidy programme, and improved work conditions for civil servants, notably public teachers who were hitherto mistreated when it came to payment of emoluments.

“We paid our respected traditional chiefs well and on time. Through the Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health, we saved many lives of our pregnant women. We reduced maternal mortality from 675 per 100, 000 live births to 460 within 24 months,” she said.

Banda also enthused power supply had tremendously improved under her PP administration and blackouts became history.

“It is not a secret that when we came in 2012, there was no forex, which resulted in the scarcity of fuel, electricity and water. Malawi was going through economic tumultuous times,” she recalled.

She said her government introduced various corrective reforms to steer the country in the right socio-economic development direction, including implementing a comprehensive Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) to resuscitate crucial sectors of the economy such as mining, agriculture, energy and tourism, among others.

Banda said the economy rapidly grew from 1.8 percent to 6.3 percent.

“In a short time, our country achieved tremendous strides in micro and macro economy, good governance, rule of law and human rights, press freedom, women’s empowerment, international relations, manufacturing industry, tobacco production and favourable prices, safety and security, among others.

“I urge you to critically look at our performance during those two years and vote wisely come 2019,” she said.

Other high-profile speakers at the meeting included PP vice presidents for central and northern regions, Beatrice Mwale and Kamlepo Kalua, respectively, and the party’s secretary general, Ibrahim Matola. They all hailed JB as the only “tried and tested” among the presidential contestants and that the people of Zomba and Malawi must give her another chance to complete her “mission”.

Matola confirmed that the party would be holding a national convention in Blantyre from August 30 “where delegates shall give Banda mandate to represent the party at the presidential polls”, among other things.

Banda founded the PP in 2011 after splitting from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is led by President Peter Mutharika.

She was Malawi’s first female president, serving from April 2012 to May 2014.

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ndele
ndele
5 years ago

Awaso atinji kodi. nkhalamba zanu zose mwaima nazozi zongofuna dyela. u disaappered ngati submarine utangoluza, zimacita iwe ku US palibe zimatikhudzapo. ukangozongulila ku MA STATE A US/UK/SA. ZA ZII. MWAONA MWAPHONYETSA CIPANGANO BASI mwati ndiima. zeru zosasa. osamangomwetsa tea anthu apakhomo amangounjikanao bwanji, pajaso ntunduwu kukonda kukonda chai.
musatinyase cemwa. zanu zinazilala basi. kufuna kutipomboneza kuthawa kufotkoza za milandu ya ndege, corruption, nanga za mphwiyo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! etc.( INE NDIKUZIWA OMWE ANAOMBERA MPHWIYO) KKKK CLIP ILIPOTU NDE MUTIUZANJI.
ci GUILTY CONSCIOUS CO. KAYA

Similandu
Similandu
5 years ago

Aunt you lost the plot the moment you abandoned the party and you evaporated into exile. You might have lost election yet Malawians appreciated the the peaceful atmosphere in which the election was conducted unlike in 1999 under UDF/Bakili and 2004 elections were traumatic in the buildup as well as the post election period leading to loss of life look at 2011 our nation went into bereavement through Bingu and today a crowned Prince of thieves you deflated our enthusiasm for you by exiling your Mama

mark
mark
5 years ago

WE ARE WATCHING FROM THE DISTANCE

Chilima wa Masagwidi.
5 years ago

ajoice banda kudzikwata ndichala lol!

Ndendeuli
Ndendeuli
5 years ago

Awanso nde bola ikanangokhala phee! Useless

SKC
SKC
5 years ago

Join the discussion…Amayi musavutike mwakalamba, musakhale ndi greedy join Chakwera mwina azakupatsani unduna apo bii, mukhalila yomweyo mpaka muyamba kuyendera ndodo. Bola u president munaulawa.

Tired
Tired
5 years ago

Kodi kwa TB Joshua munayendako bwanji? Did he tell you kuti mudzawina?

Dawn over Malawi
Dawn over Malawi
5 years ago

You were President by default, you were never elected and you lost in your own constituency, so please sit down

Jim
Jim
5 years ago

When someone has some of the qualities that might make them a good gogo, why do they imagine that these qualities will make them a good national leader?

#DzukaniAmalawi
#DzukaniAmalawi
5 years ago

Age has nothing to do with ability to lead; however, Malawi needs ethical, moral, trustworthy, pro-poor, smart, energetic and most importantly, visionary leadership. It doesn’t matter whether these elements sit with young or old person. Our point is that most of our old leaders seem to be out of touch with Malawians reality. Just for example, you madam president, you literally collapsed Malawi via cash gate and yet you’re unable to humble yourself and apologise to the nation. You’re unable to talk of your major failures but instead you focus on a few developments that didn’t even reach the ordinary… Read more »

M Sizini
M Sizini
5 years ago

I agree with everything you say, except your first statement. Age has a great deal to do with the ability to lead. The mental processing of elderly people tends to be slower, and their ability to learn and to respond to unfamiliar situations and ideas is reduced. Thinking processes based on past learning and experience tend to remain stable into old age, but creative, ‘fluid’ thinking skills deteriorate. Problems of a familiar nature tend to elicit familiar, time-honored, traditional solutions, while problems of an unfamiliar nature tend to elicit attempts to apply adaptations of familiar solutions, followed by relatively slowly… Read more »

moving on
moving on
5 years ago

The retirement age in the civil service is 60, how then do you justify a President who is way above the retirement age to cling to power, are Presidents held in another category ????

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