# Thandiwe Banda > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Thandiwe_Banda > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Thandiwe_Banda.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thandiwe_Banda > Source revision: 1311527647 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Thandiwe Banda** (born 1971/1972) is a Zambian [political science](/source/Political_science) [teacher](/source/Teacher) who served as the [First Lady of Zambia](/source/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.[1] She was the second wife of former [President](/source/President_of_Zambia) [Rupiah Banda](/source/Rupiah_Banda) until his death in March 2022.[2] ## Biography Rupiah Banda's first wife, Hope Mwansa Makulu, died in 2000.[3] He and his second wife, Thandiwe Banda, married during the 2000s, despite an age gap of nearly forty years.[1] He was around 70 years at the time of their wedding, while she was in her 30s.[1] Thandiwe and Rupiah Banda are the parents of twins, Temwani and Duniya, whose conception came as a surprise to both, according to an interview she gave with [BBC Africa](/source/BBC_Africa).[4][5] Banda was elected President in 2008, making Thandiwe Banda the youngest First Lady in Zambia's history.[1] During her tenure, Banda advocated for the creation of an official office for the First Lady with a government-funded budget to support her public duties and charities.[4] She focused on women's issues, including healthcare and child care, during her tenure.[2] Banda campaigned for stronger legislation to punish perpetrators of [domestic](/source/Domestic_violence) and sexual violence.[2] She was also a proponent of the work of [non-governmental organizations](/source/Non-governmental_organizations) (NGOs) operating in Zambia.[2] On December 20, 2011, the government-run *[Times of Zambia](/source/Times_of_Zambia)* newspaper published an article alleging that the government had seized several of Thandiwe Banda's properties, including a hotel in [Malawi](/source/Malawi), worth billions of [kwacha](/source/Malawian_kwacha).[6] Banda called the allegations false and demanded an apology and a retraction, which the newspaper initially refused.[6] In January 2012, she filed a lawsuit for [libel](/source/Libel) against the Times of Zambia and its [editor-in-chief](/source/Editor-in-chief).[6] In October 2012, the newspaper issued an apology and retracted the article, but the suit against the newspaper continued.[7] Thandiwe Banda won her defamation suit against the *Times of Zambia* in May 2014.[8] The court awarded Banda thousands of kwacha in damages as compensation.[8] Banda was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 and traveled to neighboring [South Africa](/source/South_Africa) for medical care.[9] She returned to Zambia on January 10, 2015, following several months of medical treatment.[10] ## References 1. ["Five first ladies of Africa"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/2010/05/100521_outlook_african_first_ladies.shtml). *[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)*. 2010-05-21. Retrieved 2016-08-28. 1. ["Thandiwe Banda, Former First Lady of Zambia"](http://myafrica.allafrica.com/view/people/main/id/08vQmvnOcqmOI9MX.html). *[AllAfrica.com](/source/AllAfrica.com)*. 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2016-08-28. 1. ["President Banda pays tribute to late wife"](https://www.lusakatimes.com/2011/05/07/president-banda-pays-tribute-late-wife/). *Lusaka Times*. 2011-05-07. Retrieved 2016-08-28. 1. ["Meeting the first ladies of Africa"](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8685438.stm). *[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)*. 2010-05-17. Retrieved 2016-08-28. 1. Edwards, Veronique (2010-05-25). ["Up close and personal with the first ladies of Africa"](https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/overtoyou/2010/05/up_close_and_personal_with_the.html). *[BBC News](/source/BBC_News)*. Retrieved 2016-08-28. 1. ["Former First Lady takes Times of Zambia to court"](https://www.lusakatimes.com/2012/01/05/lady-takes-times-zambia-court/). *Lusaka Times*. 2012-01-05. Retrieved 2016-08-28. 1. ["Times of Zambia apologises to former First Lady Thandiwe Banda"](https://www.lusakatimes.com/2012/10/17/times-zambia-apologises-lady-thandiwe-banda/). *Lusaka Times*. 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2016-08-28. 1. ["Former first lady wins defamation case against Times of Zambia"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180412235529/http://en.africatime.com/zambie/articles/former-first-lady-wins-defamation-case-against-times-zambia). *Africatime.com*. 2014-05-22. Archived from [the original](http://en.africatime.com/zambie/articles/former-first-lady-wins-defamation-case-against-times-zambia) on 2018-04-12. Retrieved 2016-08-28. 1. ["Zambia’s Former First lady Thandiwe Banda diagnosed with cancer"](https://www.lusakatimes.com/2014/11/04/zambias-former-first-lady-thandiwe-banda-diagnosed-cancer/). *Lusaka Times*. 2014-11-04. Retrieved 2016-08-28. 1. ["Former First Lady Thandiwe Banda returns home"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161009142717/http://zambianeye.com/archives/27687). *Lusaka Times*. 2015-01-10. Archived from [the original](http://zambianeye.com/archives/27687) on 2016-10-09. Retrieved 2016-08-28. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Thandiwe Banda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thandiwe_Banda) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thandiwe_Banda?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.