Seven years after his death, Malawi’s government has started building a $600 000 (R3,7-million) mausoleum for its former president Kamuzu Banda, who led the poor Southern African country to independence and later proclaimed himself ”president for life”.
The construction of the tomb for the former dictator, which will be complete with a viewing area from which his gold-plated coffin can be seen, comes more than seven years after his death in a South African hospital in 1997 at the age of 99.
”We are happy with the development … we have waited for seven years and Doctor Banda will finally be getting the respect that he deserves,” Ken Kandodo, a grand-nephew of Banda, said.
Minister of Culture and Sports Chimunthu Banda, unrelated to the former president, said it is the government’s ”duty to honour the former head of state”.
The new tomb is to house a library, a dancing arena, a research centre on Malawian history — and a visiting bay to view Banda’s $37 000 gold-plated coffin, in which he was buried together with a trademark Homburg hat and his infamous fly-whisk.
Architect Knight Munthali said the project is expected to finish in November to coincide with the eight anniversary of Banda’s death.
Earlier plans to build the tomb were held up for lack of funds.
Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries. — Sapa-AFP