Ex-President Joyce Banda of Malawi Returns Home After 4 Years In Exile

Ex-President Joyce Banda of Malawi Returns Home After 4 Years In Exile

Malawi’s former president Joyce Banda returned home on Saturday four years after she went into exile following Peter Mutharika’s rise to power in 2014.

JB, as she is popularly called in Malawi, landed through Chileka International Airport at noon clad in orange and black dress.

The former Malawi leader, who was accompanied by her husband, retired Chief Justice Richard Banda, was welcomed by her People’s Party (PP) officials and party supporters who jam-packed the airport clad in the party’s orange colour.

Before addressing her party supporters, JB told the press she was very excited to be home.

On her warrant of arrest in connection to plunder of public funds during her reign as announced by the Malawi police in 2017, the former Malawi leader said “I have never been told about the warrant of arrest and I don’t know why they would want to arrest me.”

JB is scheduled to hold her first political rally on Sunday at Domasi in Zomba where she hails from, according to PP officials.

Her return was officially announced by her party spokesperson Nowa Chimpeni on Monday.

Malawi Police Service in 2017 issued warrant of arrest for the former president on allegations that she was connected to the embezzlement of public funds in a scandal known as cashgate.

JB attained the office of the presidency on April 7, 2012, following the death of President Bingu Mutharika.

She then lost the May 2014 elections, which saw Bingu’s brother Peter Mutharika rising to power under the Democratic Progressive Party.

(Xinhua/NAN)