PROFILE OF MALAWI FOREIGN MINISTER JOYCE BANDA

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SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/S HERB TREGER
STATE FOR INR/AA RITA BYRNES
STATE FOR INR/B

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2017
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PINR MI
SUBJECT: PROFILE OF MALAWI FOREIGN MINISTER JOYCE BANDA

REF: STATE 73210

Classified By: Ambassador Alan Eastham for reason 1.4 (C).


1. (C) Summary: Minister of Foreign Affairs Joyce Banda is
well respected by the Malawian public, and lauded for her
strong pro-human rights past. Banda is admittedly out of
her element at Foreign Affairs and possesses only a basic
knowledge of international relations, however she comes
across as forthright and honest in her dealings with
Embassy officials. Though she was appointed to her high
profile Ministerial position in mid-2006, Banda has seen a
sharp decline in her influence within both the Cabinet and
the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) over the same
period. While Banda had been one of President Mutharika's
closest political advisors in the first year and a half of
his presidency, including serving as Secretary-General of
the DPP, she is now only nominally involved in party
politics and instead focuses on her position as Minister of
Foreign Affairs. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Banda initially made a name for herself in Malawi
as one of the country's leading proponents of human rights
and gender equality. As a victim of domestic abuse herself
(Banda has described her first husband as abusive),Banda
was particularly vocal in the promotion of Malawi's
domestic violence bill, along with girls education and
empowerment programs. Banda founded and still directs the
Joyce Banda Foundation, which runs a large private girls
school in the southern city of Blantyre, in addition to
serving as a charitable organization.


3. (C) After winning election to parliament in 2004, Banda
was made Minister of Gender in President Mutharika's first
cabinet. Later, when Mutharika split from former President
Bakili Muluzi and his political party in early 2005, Banda
followed Mutharika and later became Secretary-General of
the new Democratic Progressive Party. However, Banda never
showed much interest or ability in developing the DPP into
a formidable political force (in the words of one prominent
Malawian political observer, while Banda has a "heart for
the people, she is no politician"). Her competitors for
influence with the President--including current
Secretary-General Heatherwick Ntaba and Minister of

SIPDIS
Information Patricia Kaliati, among others--had a hand in
pushing her out the door, but in the end Banda didn't have
the stomach for the politicking required for the party's
top job. After her appointment to Minister of Foreign
Affairs in mid-2006 Banda quietly resigned from the DPP
post of Secretary-General, ostensibly to focus on her
Ministerial portfolio. Since her resignation she has
played only a nominal role within the party and has seen
her influence with, and access to, President Mutharika
decline.


4. (C) Taking up the Foreign Affairs portfolio after
serving as Minister of Gender, Banda at first seemed in
over her head at the MFA. She admitted as much to Embassy
officials in her first meeting after being appointed
Minister, stating that the President had put her in the
position because he "wanted his Ministers to be well
rounded". While she has grown into her position somewhat,
Banda still seems only mildly interested in international
affairs though she is much more engaged when discussing
social issues such as education and human rights. In fact,
her cabinet colleagues often joke that whenever Banda
speaks her remarks invariably turn to issues of gender, the
status of women and children's welfare.


5. (C) Banda is open and outwardly friendly when meeting
with Embassy officials, and highly values the opportunities
she has had to visit the U.S., both before and after
running for office. On an international visitor trip to
the U.S. in 1989 Banda met with a number of women's groups
to discuss women's empowerment issues, an experience she
used to help found a National Association of Business Women
in Malawi in 1990. She greatly admires the human rights,
good governance and journalistic freedoms inherent in the
American political system.


6. (C) While post does not have any information on Akajuwe
Enterprises, Banda's primary "business" interests revolve
around those organizations run by her charity, primarily
the private Joyce Banda Foundation Secondary School in
Blantyre, Malawi. The school educates over 800 Malawian
girls, and serves as a source of income for Banda and her
family. While Banda was involved in small scale garment

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and transport businesses in the past, she currently has no
business other than her foundation listed with Malawi's
Chamber of Commerce. Though Malawian parliamentarians are
not required to declare their assets or business interests
to the public, all post contacts confirm that Banda has no
significant business interests.


7. (C) Banda is married to former Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court Richard Banda, who retired after serving in
the Malawian judiciary for thirty years. Richard Banda was
recently named Chief Justice of Swaziland's Supreme Court,
signing a four year contract on May 27, 2007. Banda had
been working as a judge at the Swazi Supreme Court of
Appeal since early 2006 in a position he took up after his
retirement from Malawi's courts. Joyce and Richard have
two children together--Kambi Banda and Kumi Banda (both
females). Kambi, a sophomore in college, is currently
going to a university in Ohio, while Kumi is still in high
school. Banda also has three children from her first
marriage, Jeff, Edith and Roy Kachale. All three were
educated in the U.S., and Edith still lives in the U.S.
Roy is the director of the Joyce Banda Foundation, while
Jeff runs a computer sales company in Malawi. After the
break-up of her first marriage, Banda had a long term
relationship with the late Dan Nkosi, who was at that time
married to Deputy Reserve Bank Governor Mary Nkosi.


8. (C) Comment: While Banda is still a respected figure
within President Mutharika's Cabinet (as shown by her
prominent role as Chairperson of Protocol for the extended
preparations of the state funeral of First Lady Ethel
Mutharika),her influence and importance have considerably
waned since she resigned as Secretary-General of the DPP.
Though Banda does have some autonomy on minor issues as
Minister of Foreign Affairs, President Mutharika has made
it clear to all his ministers that no one has full
authority to act independently of him, especially on major
decisions. Banda still believes that she should focus her
energies on serving the needs of the
disenfranchised--particularly in the areas of girls
education. The non-stop political bickering of the past
three years have largely turned her off to party politics.
While she was Minister of Gender Banda commented to
Ambassador Eastham that she did like politics and did not
intend to run for parliament again, but instead planned to
turn her energies back to running her foundation after 2009.
However, the political toll on Banda seems to have
considerably lessened since resigning from the DPP Secretary
General position, and many political observers think it
likely that she will indeed run for re-election to Parliament
in 2009. End Comment.


EASTHAM