President Banda in Bulawayo ZITF

By Patience Tandawa

MALAWI President Joyce Hilda Banda is set to officially open the 54^th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) today.

President Banda arrived in the country on Tuesday and has been visiting a number of key places in the country such as the National Heroes Acre, Boka Tobacco Auction Floors and the Kuwadzana 4 Poly Clinic, among others.

Popularly known in the Malawi media as “JB”, President Banda is expected to tour a couple of exhibition stands at the ZITF in the morning before officially opening arguably the best trade show south of the Sahara in the afternoon.

President Banda joins a host of other Sadc leaders that have officially opened previous editions of the ZITF.

Last year, President Michael Sata officially opened the fair.

But the question among many people here is; who is Joyce Banda?

Born on April 12 1950, Banda has been Malawi President since April 7, 2012. She is the founder and leader of the People’s Party, which was created in 2011.

An educator and grassroots women’s rights activist, she was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2009 and Malawi Vice President from May 2009 to April 2012.

She took office as president following the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika and is Malawi’s fourth president and its first female president.

Before becoming president, she served as the country’s first female vice president.

She was a Member of Parliament and Minister for Gender, Children’s Affairs and Community Services. Before her active career in politics, she was the founder of the Joyce Banda Foundation, founder of the National Association of Business Women (NABW), Young Women Leaders Network and the Hunger Project.

Forbes Magazine named President Banda as the 71st most powerful woman in the world and the most powerful woman in Africa.