Joyce Banda impressed with tobacco prices as 2014 market opens

President Dr. Joyce Banda says she is impressed with the maximum prices of tobacco at the opening of the 2014 market season on Monday adding she hoped the trend would continue.
In her keynote address marking the official opening of the 2014 tobacco market season at Kanengo in Lilongwe, President Dr. Banda also hailed farmers for producing the leaf of very good quality; a development she said would minimize cases of sending tobacco back for regrading.
“I have toured the floors and four categories of tobacco among them; the contract farming category and that of ordinary farmers,” explained the President. “I was impressed to note that the maximum price for tobacco in the contract farming category was as high as 2 dollars 90 cents and in the other category the maximum price was 2 dollars 5 cents.

Evance Matabwa, Chief Executive Officer of Auction Holdings Limited and President Joyce Banda check tobacco prices in Lilongwe at the official opening of 2014 tobacco sales

“For a start, this is impressive; I don’t know what will happen as we go on but I expect the prices to be that good throughout the season.”
The President appealed to tobacco buyers to consider offering better prices throughout the season so that the farmers, who had toiled to produce tobacco of good quality as the lot she saw at the floors, should appreciate the gains for their toiling.
Earlier during the official opening of the 2014 market season, Chairperson for Tobacco Control Commission (TCC), Crown Prince Mmbelwa V, assured President Dr. Banda that under his chairmanship, TCC would work hard to ensure a smooth tobacco season.
Mmbelwa V noted that the President’s initiatives in support of tobacco farmers were improving the farmers’ livelihoods citing the directive that farmers should be given an option of receiving their tobacco sales earnings in US dollars at a commercial bank of their choice as one example.
“Your government also approved the Integrated Production System model of tobacco production and marketing in Malawi…the system has helped the tobacco growers in terms of better quality leaf that can fetch better prices on the floor,” explained the TCC Chair.
He also said TCC and its stakeholders were working towards a decentralized rural tobacco marketing system which the President advocated for to ensure that transport costs for the farmers were reduced.
Last year Auction Holdings Limited sold a total of 169 million kilograms of all types of tobacco realizing about 362 million United States dollars.

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Chief Justice Richard Banda led the cheers for Malawi against Chad

The First Gentleman, retired Chief Justice Richard Banda SC on Saturday graced the crunch tie between Malawi and Chad at Kamuzu Stadium and witnessed the home team sail through to the next stage of the qualifiers for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Chad was responsible for Malawi’s failure to qualify for this year’s edition in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon when with nothing to play for, the Chadians pinned Malawi back with a stoppage-time equaliser in N’Djamena last October.

The result meant that Malawi failed by a whisker to be among the 16 nations at Africa’s biggest football showpiece and had to contend with painfully watching neighbours Zambia become African champions for the first time.

But on Saturday, Malawi dumped Chad in the competition with a 2—0 win.

The First Gentleman was ushered into the pitch to offer fair play handshakes to the teams by Sports Minister Enock Chihana.

Players said the First Gentleman asked them to have “courage” and be “brave” to overcome Chad. He was later seen celebrating the two goals Malawi scored and the victory at the end of the regulation time.

As a sportsman, Banda was a track and field athlete.

Banda also played football for and was once the captain of the Malawi national team. He earned the football nickname ‘Shoeshine’ because of his dazzling football skills.

He later headed the Football Association of Malawi and also became the President of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association of Malawi.

Malawi must now wait for the draw in July to know the identity of their next opponents in competition.

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Chief Justice Richard Banda President of the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association from 2000-2003

Chief Justice Richard Banda was the Chief Justice of Malawi until December 2002 and is now in private practice. Justice Richard Banda, SC is a barrister at law, having been called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn in July 1966. After his call to the Bar, he entered the Malawi Government Legal Service where he served in different capacities until 1970 when he was appointed the Director of Public Prosecutions. During this period, he was asked to act as Solicitor General and Secretary for Justice. In April 1972 he was appointed Attorney General, and later in the same year, he was created Senior Counsel and was the first Malawian to be so honoured after Independence. He served in this capacity for two years until 1974, when he was appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General and was also responsible for the Portfolio of Local Government. He served in these capacities until February 1976, when he left Government. He stayed out of practice for four years until April 1980, when he was re-appointed into the Judicial Service to fill the new office of Chief Resident Magistrate which had been created. He served in this position for nine months, until November 1980, when he was appointed a Judge of the High Court and Supreme Court of Malawi. He served in this position until February 1992, when he was appointed Chief Justice of Malawi. He continues to serve in this position up to this time. Chief Justice Richard Banda was appointed an Honorary Life Fellow of the Society of Advanced Legal Studies, a constituent organisation of the University of London. He has also recently been invited and is an Honorary Master of the Bench of the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn. Chief Justice Richard Banda has been a keen sportsman in the past. He played soccer and captained the National Team and was also an athlete, having represented Malawi in the High Jump. Chief Justice Richard Banda is a former President of the Football Association of Malawi and he is the current President of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association of Malawi. He enjoys watching sports and now plays golf.


He was the President of the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges' Association (CMJA) from 2000-2003.

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IOC trophy award to the First Gentleman Chief Justice Richard Banda

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded Chief Justice Richard Banda SC (RTD) with a trophy as part of recognition for his constant contribution, support and development of the Olympic Movement in Malawi. The 2013 IOC “150th anniversary of Pierre de Coubertin, sport as a school of life” trophy has been awarded to the First Gentleman, an honorary member of the Malawi Olympic Committee.

Banda received the award on Tuesday at a function that took place at Kamuzu Palace. Malawi Olympic Committee (MOC) vice president, Flora Mwandira presented the Trophy, in the presence of other Executive Board Members of the committee.

He was also presented with another award, the Olympic Wreath, in commemoration of the just ended Malawi’s first ever Mini “Olympic” Games which took place in Lilongwe last week.

Speaking during the presentation MOC vice president Mwandira said the award is one way of recognizing the first gentleman for his support towards the committee.

“All this was done in the spirit of recognition of his constant contribution, support and development of the Olympic Movement in Malawi” said Mwandira.

During the function the First Gentleman made a personal donation of One Million Malawi Kwacha (K1m) towards the just ended Mini “Olympic” Games.
Mwandira said the donation has come at a right time as Moc was struggling to pay expenses incurred during the games.

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