Malawi’s Fmr Female President, Joyce Banda Returns Home After Four-Year Exile

Malawi’s former president, Joyce Banda returned home today after four years of self-imposed exile, despite facing the threat of arrest over corruption allegations. 

Banda, 68, fled the country in 2014 when she lost power after being embroiled in the so-called Cashgate scandal, in which government officials syphoned off millions of dollars of public money.  Banda; only the second woman to lead a country in Africa arrived at Blantyre’s airport on a flight from Johannesburg around midday on Saturday, where she was greeted by hundreds of supporters of her People’s Party, said an AFP journalist at the scene.  “Mother is here, the lights should come back”, the crowd chanted.  

No police were present as she left the plane. Her spokesman Andekunye Chanthunya had earlier said she would head straight to her home at Domasi in Zomba, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) away.  Local media have reported a possible deal between President Peter Mutharika and Banda ahead of next year’s elections.  Banda founded the People’s Party (PP) in 2011 after splitting from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is led by Mutharika.  Chanthunya told AFP that Banda would also address a political rally on Sunday.