Hastings Kamuzu Banda Mausoleum in Lilongwe, Malawi

Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the first President of Malawi, died on November 25, 1997, at the age of 99 or 101. He ruled Malawi from 1964 to 1994 and was often referred to as the "Great Lion" or Ngwazi. His mausoleum in Lilongwe, the capital city, features leonine imagery and displays the four principles he promoted: Unity, Loyalty, Discipline, and Obedience. Banda was born around 1898 in the British Central African Protectorate and was educated in the United States and Scotland with the help of Christian churches. He became a doctor and later entered politics, eventually becoming a national leader as Malawi gained independence in 1964. However, Banda ruled Malawi with an iron fist, ignoring democratic principles and human rights, and his regime was marked by violence, oppression, and corruption. Despite his autocratic rule, Banda presented himself to the outside world as a kindly doctor and was supported by Western powers. The true extent of his regime's atrocities is unknown, but it is estimated to be in the tens of thousands. Today, Malawi celebrates 30 years of multi-party democracy, and Banda's legacy remains complex and controversial. His mausoleum, like his life, is multi-layered, with a grand marble façade and an inaccessible tomb.