Malawi K1,000 bank notes to bear Kamuzu’s image: Updated
Malawi will have its founding president Ngwazi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s face on its new 1,000 Kwacha (about $4) banknotes .
According to the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) the new bank notes will be in circulation from May 23.
Initially the new bank notes were to bear late president Bingu wa Mutharika’s image . The late president proposed to have his face on the bank notes t o put him at par with his predecessors Kamuzu Banda and Bakili Muluzi who left their marks on the national notes, but this has been scrapped.
Malawi would also phase out its old K20, K50, K100, K200 and K500 notes.
The 500 kwacha note will bear the face John Chilembwe, Malawi`s first formal nationalist and freedom fighter who is currently on the bank notes.
The 200 Kwacha bank note will be embossed with Rose Chibambo`s face (Malawi’s first female cabinet minister only person alive on our bank notes) and reprint 100 kwacha notes stamped with the face of James Frederick Sangala – the founder of the Nyasaland African Congress who campaigned relentlessly for national unity in Malawi in the 1940s.
The K50 note will have the image of Inkosi Ya Makhosi Gomani II – Philip Zitonga Maseko.
” He was the most development conscious paramount chief the Southern or Maseko Ngoni had during the colonial period. He mobilised his people to oppose the Federation of Nyasaland and Rhodesia, was deposed and exiled for that reason, and died in exile as a martyr while defending the dignity and freedom of his people,” the central bank said.
“K20 – Inkosi ya Makhosi M’mbelwa II (Lazalo Mkhuzo Jere), 1915-1959 – He was the most powerful and fearless leader the Northern or Jere. ..He too led his people to oppose the imposition of the Federation in the early 1950s.”
The new K 1,000 banknote will be the largest one in value.
The new series of banknotes are to be in “much smaller in size”, according to Reserve Bank of Malaiw Governor Charles Chuka.
He said in a statement made available to Nyasa Times that the K1000 note will feature the Mzuzu maize silos, K500 note the Mulunguzi Dam, while the K200, K100 and K50 notes will feature the new Parliament Building, the College of Medicine in Blantyre, the Kasungu National Park and the Domasi Teachers College respectively.”
The central bank said the new banknote series will run side by side with the old series for a period of one year from 23rd May, 2012 to 22 May, 2013 after which the old series shall be withdrawn from circulation and cease to be legal tender.
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