‘Kamuzu’s son’ Jumani buried in Mzimba with ashes of his mum ex-Miss Malawi
Jumani Johansson, a man who claimed to be the son to Malawi’s founding President Hastings Kamuzu Banda, was on Saturday laid to rest at Chawuluma village, T/A Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba.
He died last Saturday at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (Qech) in Blantyre, leaving unanswered questions regarding his paternity.
Ashes of Jumani’s late mother Mirriam Kaunda – Miss Malawi 1976 – were also brought all the way from Sweden to Malawi to be buried together with Jumani side by side.
Hundreds of people gathered in their mourning mood paid their final respect to Jumani, including his adopted father Mr Johanson, his sister Amanda, wife and relatives, politicians Edgar Tembo, Kamuzu Chibambo and legislator Olipa Myaba.
Delivering his eulogy, Mr Johanson said he is sad to lose Jumani whom he took as his son.
“I am deeply sad to lose him,” he said.
“When I was marring my late wife Mirriam in 1978, he and his sister Amanda were so young and that time we were in Lilongwe before we left to Sweden in 1979 and I managed to send him to school and he did everything to complete his studies,” said Johanson.
Jumani made healines in 2010 when he claimed that he was Kamuzu’s son and filed for change of name from Jim Jumani Johansson to Jim Jumani Immanuel Masauko Kamuzu Banda. This put him at loggerheads with the Kamuzu family which has always maintained the founding father had no child.
His claim also sparked a frenzy in Malawi, with a number of people saying he could have been a legitimate son of the fallen president while others dismissed him as a gold-digger out to inherit Kamuzu’s wealth.
Among those who dismissed this claim was Jumani’s biological mother, Mirriam Kaunda-Johansson.
The mother claimed Jumani’s father was Muhammad Jogee, a Malawian of Indian descent and a chartered accountant who moved to England years ago.
Jumani’s uncle, James Kaunda said his sudden death leaves them with “a lot of questions than answers.”
He was born on 2 May, 1973 and is survived by three children, first born son Jumani junior who is 18 and his sister aged 14 from a Swedish mother and wife, a mother of four-month-old Ceceliaa.
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Ndithudi kudikila kuti muthu afe ndi pamene adziti anali abambo! Ili ndi bodza la mkunkhuniza. Kamuzu anali mkulu wa mpingo wa Church of Scotland tu! A church of Scotland amachotsa mu mpingo ochita chigololo! Inu, Jumani sanali mwana wa Kamuzu, a mfumu a Kaomba akunena zoona kuti Jumani sanali mwana wa Kamuzu. Ana a Kamuzu alipo atatu amuna okhaokha ndipo awiri ndi nkhalamba. Akanakhala mwana wa Kamuzu, mwini wake Hastings akananena chifukwa akadali ndi moyo!!!!!!!!!
Son born in 1973, mother Miss Malawi 1976. Kodi kalero zinjatheka mothers contesting as miss Malawi?
Pamenepa timve ziti coz Amayi Ake a juman akuti bambo a juman anali a chimwenye ndipo anasamukira ku UK, zowona kaya ndi ziti?
People they say there is no ufiti in Malawi now what is that, is this not ufiti from the family of late Dr. Kamuzu Banda. RIP Jumani Johnson
Jumani could not just claim that kamuzu was his father. He really must have been his son. No wonder dzanjalimodzi was so afraid cause he would have benefited from the estate. Dzanjalimodzi was only afraid that jumani would benefit from the wealth and she never cared whatever. WickedNess pa malawi.
I fee for Jumani (Banda), really I feel for him. And his wife and children. Let’s think ( and pray, for those us who do) for some of the characters in this saga.
1. Mr Johansson, the step father. We need to salute him, and look up to him for his love, character and unselfishness. To respect your adopted son who dropped your name is something out of the movies, as far Malawi culture is concerned, let’s face it. No doubt, Mr Johansson respected Jumani’s wish to seek out his biological father; and this was not disparaging nor demeaning for Mr Johansson. Nor should it be!
Malawian men, don’t you think we can learn a lot from this behavior of Mr Johansson?
2. Jumani Banda himself apparently approached the “hunt for his daddy” methodically, and meant no offence to Kamuzu Banda’s extended family. Yet, they treated him like trash. And gold digger. How do they know he was a gold digger, in this modern day of forensic science? Without a DNA test?
(Testimonial: there was a boy in our extended family, born out of wedlock , and he died without knowing his dad. He never specifically asked about his
father, but one day he and I sat down and cried together over this issue. He passed away, a broken man.)
MUCH LIKE JUMANI BANDA, in my view.
It is only us, the human species who have the capacity, and want to seek out our moms, dads, brands, great grands and great great grands if possible. There is lack of conscience when people, like Jumani (Banda) are denied that right, by the very people whose close relationship he’s seeking.
3. Jumanis’ wife. A most respectable lady, apparently, and she hasn’t made a scene so far. Her patience may run out, but she has the prerogative to lose patience. It must be running out.
4. Jumani’s kids. What legacy will they want their dad to leave behind? Let him die disgraced like this or revive his search for the truth, with more gusto?
Folks, this is not over yet, by a long shot. As long as there is no statute of limitation, I predict the fight for the truth will continue, and one day a progressive court of law in this country will accede to the demands for a forensic DNA test. We should not be worried about the results yet; and we should not presume the results either.
Uncorrupted or uncompromised lab results is what Jumani wanted. And that is all we are asking for.
The late Jumani (Banda) did not deserve the treatment, and the cruel indictment meted out by late Kamuzu Banda’s extended family – the beneficiaries of the ill gotten wealth of that dictator. You are only inviting MINYAMA baasi.
DNA tests need to be done to ascertain the hereditary truth in this case. The alleged word of mouth (by Jumani’s late mom) that Mr Jogee was his biological father is not even collaborated by any one else. And perhaps, the late mom knew deep down, that Mr Jogee was not the father, and that is why she never sued him for support. (The mom was an enlightened and educated person, and she would have sued for sure.)
Is it reasonable to expect that the mom to publicize that Kamuzu Banda was the real father, considering the grip of fear that existed in this country under the dictator?
If Ms. Kaunda was to complain, or under any circumstances bring to light the possibility of Kamuzu Banda being the father of Jumani’s, she would not see the light the next day. Those who doubt this proposition, just revisit the history of that era, the brutality and murderous record of that regime! And, at the end of the day, be honest with yourselves.
Yes. A lot against genetics in this case. Doesn’t make sense at all.
Rest in Peace
Nanga mwana anabwreka ndi Mrs French Ku London uja ali kuti? Mr French anakumang’ala Ku court kuti Kamuzu waapondera tomato. Samani itamupeza Kamuzu, anathawira Ku Ghana. Mrs French anamusatira konko koma iye anawamyala chifukwa samafuna kuoneka kuti amayenda ndi mzungu pomwe Amati he is Panafricanist
@ Patrick Mbewe
Zowona zokha zokha. Awuzeni anthu.
Rest in Peace Jumani. It’s only God and ur late mother who knew your real father
we don’t have to bother ourselves with these issues –Kamuzu had /has loads of kids —what is our business ??we need to focus on developing our country not these bla bla bla stories !
How are you going to develop your country when you have alot of skeletons in your cupboard, you have to free your past first then you can move forward.
Bring in more scientists in top positions if we are to developed our country.
Miriam Kaunda munthu wakuda akadabereka mkaladi ndi munthu wakuda wa kwa Chiwengo and Mphonongo village? Zinazi is against genetics. Gogo Jenala, Kamuzu’s sister and Ken Kandodo’s grandma who died in 1979, was not mkaladi. The mother said no Let Kamuzu rest in peace.
Then do “genetics” (DNA) to prove/ disprove the deceased claims beyond any reasonable doubt. Does it make any sense to refuse scientific forensi evidence that would dismiss an impostor’s claims? Then it raises more questions than answers for those against scientific proof.
Let’s hear from the Father who adopted him.What did Marriam tell him about the real father of Juman before she died??
MHSRIP