Rupiah Bwezani Banda
Rupiah Bwezani Banda was a Zambian politician who served as the fourth president of Zambia from 2008 to 2011. He took over from Levy Mwanawasa who died as the sitting president.
He was an active member in politics since the presidency of Kenneth Kaunda where he held several diplomatic posts.
Rupiah Banda began his diplomatic career as Ambassador to Egypt, a role he served in until 1967.
In 2006, the incumbent President Mwanawasa was re-elected and he appointed Banda as Vice-President in October 2006 along with a new cabinet.
He became acting president, following Mwanawasa’s death in August 2008 after suffering a stroke.
Banda narrowly won the October 2008 by-elections against opposition leader Michael Sata. He stepped down from the presidency in 2011 after Michael Sata, leader of the opposition Patriotic Front defeated him in the September 2011 presidential election.
Rupiah Banda died at the age of 85.
Rupiah Banda is survived by his wife, Thandiwe Banda and 7 children.
Rupiah Banda Sickness
Rupiah Banda was diagnosed with colon cancer.
Rupiah Banda Net Worth
The former president Banda had an estimated net worth of $5 million.
Rupiah Banda Wife Age
Rupiah’s wife Thandiwe Banda is 49 years old.
Rupiah Banda Education
Banda received his second-cycle education from Munali Secondary School. He later earned a scholarship to study at the University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
Rupiah earned a BA in Economic History from Lund University, Sweden in 1964.
He returned to Zambia after completing his course in Sweden and enrolled at the National Institute for Public Affairs (NIPA) for a course in Diplomacy and International Relations.
Rupiah Banda Twins
Rupiah and his second wife Thandiwe Banda shared a set of twins, Temwani and Duniya.
Rupiah Banda House
In 2018, President Edgar Lungu handed over a retirement house worth US$2.5 million to former president Rupiah Banda.
Rupiah Banda Age
Rupiah Banda was 85 years old as of 2022. He was born on February 19, 1937 in the town of Miko, Gwanda, Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to Zambian migrant workers.