There is authority in the constitution and it is because of this constitution that Malawi’s Joyce Banda was able to take the reins of power in Malawi making her the first woman in Southern Africa to head a nation. This has sent shock waves to the ruling corridors of the former Malawi Presidents friend in Harare where there remains no new constitution in the embattled southern African nation of Zimbabwe. If Mugabe had died it would throw the country into chaos because there is evidence of similar power struggles in the ZANU-PF party and no known succession plan.
Brief facts About President Joyce Banda
· Born Joyce Hilda Banda 12 April 1950 in Malemia village Malawi
· Educated at from Columbus University and in Italy/ United States with a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a diploma in management.
· Lived in Kenya , Italy, United States
· Joyce Banda is married to the former Supreme Court Justice Richard Banda and they have 3 children.
· Started businesses Ndekani Garments, (1985), Akajuwe Enterprises (1992), and Kalingidza Bakery (1995 to finance her charities that send young girls to school
· 2006-2009 Minister of Foreign Affairs
· May 2009 appointed Vice President of Malawi
· 2010 Expelled from ruling party Democratic People’s Party (DPP) and formed the People’s Party.
· Lifelong ambition to empower women to break the cycle of poverty in their lives
· April 2011 becomes Malawi’s first Female President
Joyce may be Africa’s answer to empower women she established businesses to support her nonprofits something which is quite different from the current nonprofit model of always begging donors for money. This seems a better business model than the one employed by former president and World Bank economist /Economist in Chief Mutharika who despite his prestigious education lacked the grassroots experience to tackle the real world problems of poverty that plagued his nation.
In a few weeks we will see perhaps Susan Rice and Hillary Clinton and perhaps the Obama women going to Malawi to assist the new leader just as Laura Bush and Condi Rice did for Johnson-Sirleaf in Liberia. Perhaps another Joyce in Southern Africa capital of Harare with an ailing dictator is taking notes and planning for the future.
