Rupiah Banda

Infobox President
name = Rupiah Bwezani Banda

---

imagesize = 150px
order = President of Zambia
Acting
vicepresident =
term_start = 29 June 2008
term_end =
predecessor = Levy Mwanawasa
successor =
birth_date = February 13, 1937
birth_place = Gwanda, Zimbabwe
constituency =
party = MMD
spouse = Hope Mwansa Makulu

Rupiah Bwezani Banda (born February 13, 1937) is a Zambian politician who is currently the acting President of Zambia. He was appointed as Vice-President by President Levy Mwanawasa in October 2006, following the latter's re-election.Shapi Shacinda, [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=qw1160400961250B251 "Mwanawasa warns challenger, names new cabinet"] , Reuters ("IOL"), October 9, 2006.] He took over Mwanawasa's presidential responsibilities after Mwanawasa suffered a stroke in June 2008,James Butty, [http://voanews.com/english/Africa/2008-07-01-voa8.cfm "Zambian President Has Had a History of Hypertension, Says Information Minister"] , VOA News, July 2, 2008.] and following Mwanawasa's death in August 2008, he became acting President. He is the candidate of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) in the October 2008 presidential election. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7607444.stm "Zambian election date announced"] , BBC News, September 9, 2008.]

Early life and diplomacy

Banda was born in Gwanda, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe); his parents had come from Northern Rhodesia to find employment prior to his birth, and he was sponsored by a local Dutch Reformed Church preacher (and later, the family of B. R. Naik) to continue his education into adulthood. He became involved in politics when he joined the youth wing of the United National Independence Party in 1960. Banda married his wife, Hope Mwansa Makulu, in 1966 and the couple has five sons together.

He was the United National Independence Party (UNIP)'s representative in Northern Europe in the early 1960s, [http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/10/10/1964172.htm "I Am Overwhelmed By the Appointment, Says Banda"] , "Sunday Post" (tmcnet.com), October 10, 2006.] and in 1965 he was appointed as Zambia's Ambassador to Egypt (the United Arab Republic). While there, he became friends with UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi, and his influence has been attributed to the decision to allow UNITA to open offices in Lusaka at this time.Sellstr̀eom, Tor. "Sweden and National Liberation in Southern Africa", 2002. Page 404.] Banda became Ambassador to the United States on April 7 1967. [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=lxUgAAAAMAAJ&q=%22rupiah+banda%22&dq=%22rupiah+banda%22&pgis=1 Diplomatic List, 1967] , U.S. Department of State.] He served as Ambassador to the U.S. for about two years, then returned to Zambia to serve as Chief Executive of the Rural Development Corporation for about two years and subsequently General Manager of the National Agriculture Marketing Board for a similar length of time. He was then appointed Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and while in this position he also headed the U.N. Council for Namibia. After about a year at the U.N., he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, serving from 1975 to 1976.Fact|date=September 2007 During his stint as Foreign Minister, Banda was occupied by the task of attempting to broker a cease-fire in Angola.

Politics

Banda was elected as a Member of Parliament from Munali Constituency in 1978. He held the seat in 1983; although he was defeated in the 1988 election, he took the issue to court. He also served for a time as Minister of Mines.

In 1991, he was defeated in Munali Constituency by the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) candidate Ronald Penza. Although he initially intended to run again for the seat in the 1996 election, he supported the UNIP's boycott of the election. He later joined the MMD. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7600831.stm "Zambian VP to lead ruling party"] , BBC News, September 5, 2008.]

After President Mwanawasa was re-elected in September 2006, he appointed Banda as Vice-President on October 9 2006 along with a new cabinet. Banda's appointment was widely viewed as a means of rewarding eastern Zambians for supporting the MMD in the election, as this was the first time that easterners had done so.

Prior to a planned summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in August 2007, Banda was sent by Mwanawasa to improve relations with neighboring Zimbabwe following Mwanawasa's criticism of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20070801220450289C873939 "Zambian leader 'wants to make up with Mugabe'"] , AFP ("IOL"), August 1, 2007.]

As acting president

After Mwanawasa suffered a stroke while at an African Union summit in Egypt on June 29 2008, Banda became acting President. He subsequently delivered a series of optimistic but vague updates on Mwanawasa's health. These updates were greeted with widespread skepticism, but Banda insisted that he had "no reason to lie". [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20080725114637910C642354 "Mwanawasa's condition 'promising'"] , Sapa-AFP ("IOL"), July 25, 2008.]

As Vice-President, Banda also acted as the leader of government business in the National Assembly; however, when the National Assembly met on August 5 2008, following Mwanawasa's stroke, Banda appointed the Minister of Defense, George Mpombo, to lead the government's parliamentary business instead. [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=84&art_id=nw20080805180547484C318403 "Zambian parliament meets"] , Sapa-Associated Press ("IOL"), August 5, 2008.]

Mwanawasa never recovered from his stroke and died while still hospitalized in Paris on August 19 2008. Expressing "immense grief and deep sorrow", Banda announced his death to the nation and declared a seven-day period of national mourning, urging Zambians to "remain calm and mourn our President with dignity". [ [http://www.statehouse.gov.zm/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=414&Itemid=47 "STATEMENT BY HIS HONOUR THE VICE PRESIDENT, MR. RUPIAH BANDA, MP., ON THE DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT"] , Zambian Presidency website, 18 August 2008.] Banda officially took over as acting President prior to a new presidential election, which according to the constitution should be called within 90 days of Mwanawasa's death. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/08/20/europe/OUKWD-UK-ZAMBIA-PRESIDENT.php "Zambian VP takes charge"] , Reuters ("International Herald Tribune"), August 20, 2008.]

Banda filed an application to stand as the candidate of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) on August 26 2008. On the same day, the MMD in Eastern Province released a statement in support of Banda's candidacy. [ [http://allafrica.com/stories/200808270497.html "Four File for Presidency"] , "The Times of Zambia", Ndola (allAfrica.com), August 27, 2008.] The MMD National Executive Committee chose Banda as the party's presidential candidate in a secret ballot on September 5. He had been widely expected to win, and he received 47 votes against 11 for Ngandu Magande, the Minister of Finance. On this occasion, Banda promised to "unite the party and the entire nation" and to "continue implementing [Mwanawasa's] programs". [ [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20080905174022655C441736 "Zambia's ruling party picks candidate"] , Sapa-AFP ("IOL"), September 5, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/maiddie/bandar.html Famous Zambians: Rupiah Banda biography]