Aleke’s widow passes on, burial today
Mama Mbumba Margaret Banda, the widow of one of Malawi’s distinguished politicians Aleke Kadonaphani Banda (AKB), has passed on and will be laid to rest at the family’s compound in Chirimba, Blantyre today.
According to her first-born son Masankho Banda, Mbumba Banda Snr, fondly addressed by her initials MMB, died of Covid-19 complications at around 12.30pm yesterday at Partners in Hope Hospital in Lilongwe.
He said his mother had been in hospital for 10 days.
Masankho said: “She fought gallantly, but with age and other comorbidities it was a lot for her.”
He said that the late MMB will be laid to rest next to her husband, AKB, who succumbed to leukemia cancer on April 9 2010.
Masankho described his departed mother as a dedicated wife, loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother.
He said: “Our matriarch has gone to be with the angels. We are devastated by this loss. The long and full life that she lived comforts us.”
Born on October 11 1938 to Mr and Mrs Kahumbe in Chirimba, Traditional Authority Machinjiri in Blantyre, Mbumba Margaret Banda was one of the nine children. She got married to Aleke Banda in 1961.
Masankho said his parents had a very loving, adventurous and active life together until Aleke’s death in 2010.
He said his mother was very active in politics, church and community affairs.
She is survived by children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Saulos Chilima and Madame Mary Chilima said they learnt with shock the death of Mbumba Margaret Banda and prayed for her peaceful rest.
Until her death, Mbumba Margaret Banda was a shareholder and director in Nation Publications Limited (NPL) which AKB established in 1993.
The multi-award winning NPL publishes The Nation, Nation on Sunday, Weekend Nation, Fuko and Nation Online. NPL currently employs about 260 people nationwide.
