DR JOYCE BANDA OPEN LETTER TO EVERYBODY

Dear Fellow Malawians,
It is with great humility that I now have the honor of reflecting on my time as the president of my beloved Malawi. Two years ago I was entrusted with the power and authority of the highest seat in the country. It has been an extremely trying and yet very fruitful couple of years. Together we have faced many challenges and together we have arisen a stronger and more unified Malawi. Now it is with great excitement that I move towards our future.

I want to thank all of you who have supported me so passionately throughout my political career. The Media has painted many pictures of me in the last few years and some of them could be cause for concern, but you have been so faithful and steadfast in your continued support and belief in my leadership. I am eternally grateful for the ways in which you have empowered me and all that I stand for.

I entered politics in order to further the work to which I have always been so passionately committed. Together during these past two years, we built new villages, brought clean water to nearly every district, increased the economic growth rate from 1.8% to over 6%, improved the operational industrial capacity from 35% to 85%, enhanced the foreign exchange import cover from one week to three months, decreased maternal mortality from 675 deaths per 100,000 live births to 460, boosted electricity generation capacity by 64 megawatts, increased fuel supply from zero days to 15 days, empowered women in business, fought domestic violence, promoted business and investment, healed broken relationships with foreign donors and countries, tackled corruption, and saved our economy from the brink of total collapse. I am thankful that you as a nation trusted my leadership through these challenging times. At every level of office, during my political career, I have had the opportunity to contribute to immense growth in the areas that I believe are so essential to the development of our country.

I have spent my life fighting for the empowerment and development of this country that I love so dearly. I want to assure all Malawians that I am more resolved now than ever in my commitment to Malawi’s development. I do not see this past election as a defeat but rather as a change of season and approach. Together I know that we can continue to make Malawi a more developed, educated, peaceful and prosperous place for all of its citizens.

It was an honor to be Malawi’s first female President, the first female President in the SADC region as well as the second female President on the continent of Africa. I believe strongly in the need for female leadership around the world and especially on this continent. I am committed to doing all that I can to empower and develop these leaders both at home and abroad as I enter this next stage of my life.

Please join me both in action and in spirit as we move towards the future with hearts full of hope. These past two years have shown me that the dreams we share for this country are more than possible. Now it is time to use what we have to make Malawi and this continent a better place.

- Dr. Joyce Banda

CREDIT: CHARLES BANDA/WANABIDII