Thandiwe Banda

Thandiwe Banda (born 1971/1972) is a Zambian political science teacher who served as the First Lady of Zambia from June 2008 until September 2011. Banda, who was in her 30s when she took over the position in 2008, was the youngest First Lady in Zambia's history. She was the second wife of former President Rupiah Banda until his death in March 2022.

Biography

Rupiah Banda's first wife, Hope Mwansa Makulu, died in 2000. He and his second wife, Thandiwe Banda, married during the 2000s, despite an age gap of nearly forty years.

On 9 October 2006, Rupiah Banda was appointed as the Vice President of Zambia by President Levy Mwanawasa, making Thandiwe the Second Lady of Zambia. After Mwanawasa's death in August 2008, Banda was elected President in November 2008, making Thandiwe Banda the youngest First Lady in Zambia's history. She focused on women's issues, including healthcare and child care, during her tenure. Banda called the allegations false and demanded an apology and a retraction, which the newspaper initially refused. Thandiwe Banda won her defamation suit against the Times of Zambia in May 2014. The court awarded Banda thousands of kwacha in damages as compensation. She returned to Zambia on January 10, 2015, following several months of medical treatment.