Hastings Banda

Hastings Kamuzu Banda (* 1896 or February 1898 or 1906 near Kasungu, then Nyasaland, † 25 November 1997 in South Africa) was independence leader, president and later de facto dictator of Malawi. The name Kamuzu he only took on as president.

As Hastings Banda was raised a Presbyterian, lived a long time in the UK and got in Scotland training as a doctor. On his return to the former Nyasaland, he was his mother tongue Chinyanja not speak fluently and had to rely on an interpreter. He kicked the Central African Federation, which was dissolved in 1963, and led the country under the name of Malawi to independence.

On 1 February 1963 he became Prime Minister in 1966 he proclaimed the republic and became its president. In 1971 he declared himself president for life.

Banda brought from the Presbyterian Scotland conservative attitude was, inter alia, responsible for ensuring that he founded the Kamazu Academy, a school modeled on Eton, were taught in Malawian children of foreign teachers in Latin and Ancient Greek. The Malawian television he allowed only in the early 1990s. Even little things in this setting, such as showed that he was in Malawi still the UK as a coin denomination already wayward Florin (2 sh) characterize as a small coin. He used his power as President and to introduce a dress code for all citizens of Malawi, which many foreign visitors puzzled. For example, women were not allowed to expose their legs and pants were forbidden. For men, long hair was a sign of negative stance and therefore also prohibited. Border officials or police officers they could force them to leave his hair cut.

In the early 80s he moved some derision when he banned the song Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel. This occurred at a time when to break the relationship with his mistress Cecilia Tamanda Kadzamira and threatened him zusetzte the text of the song clearly ( " Cecilia / I'm down on my knees / I'm begging you please to come home" ).

During his one-party government, he amassed a personal fortune of at least 320 million U.S. dollars. He was one of the few African rulers who maintained diplomatic relations with South Africa during apartheid, and therefore was then in the eyes of many other African leaders rehabilitated only partially.

In 1994 Banda allowed democratic elections in which he is by far Bakili Muluzi, a Yao from the south of the country, subject, whose reign should not do without controversy. Banda came from a fight. He died in 1997 in a South African hospital. The Malawi Congress Party which he had founded, was made ​​after his death and is one of the main political forces in the country.