• Mr. Banda developed a responsive and relevant education system.
• This was achieved during his term as Republican President.
• In his retirement, Mr. Banda continued to advocate for education

Higher Education Authority says 4th Republican President Rupiah Banda will be remembered as a champion of the education sector.
Authority Corporate Communications Officer Birbal Musoba told Money FM News in a statement that in 2009, whilst President of Zambia, Mr. Banda developed a responsive and relevant education system that produce industrious learners capable of meaningfully contributing to the development needs and the country’s aspirations.
Mr. Musoba stated that this was achieved during his term as Republican President through a National Curriculum Review Symposium that was held in Lusaka.
“In that same year, Mr. Banda called for the enforcement of high standards of education in all institutions offering university level education in order to produce suitably trained personnel that were ready to take on the various challenges to develop the country. He noted that quality education would provide an assurance system which would increase customer confidence and the credibility of the institutions of higher education,” Mr. Musoba stated.
He said even in his retirement, Mr. Banda continued to advocate for education noting that at the Round Table of the African Presidential Leadership Meeting held in Johannesburg South Africa in 2017, the late forth President called on African governments to increase the provision of tertiary education to young people so that they would be well equipped to rise to challenges that the continent was facing as he believed that a well-educated African population would help accelerate the continent’s development agenda.
“A humble man who knew the value of an earned education, Mr. Banda refused to be called by the title ‘Dr.’ despite being conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Political Science by a registered private Higher Education Institution. This was while he was the sitting President of Zambia. Thus, this solidified Mr. Banda as a true champion of education, as his refusal pointed to the necessity to earn a qualification,” he noted.
Zambia’s fourth Republican President Rupiah Bwezani Banda, 85, died at his home on Friday 11th March 2022, after a short battle with colon cancer.
According to government, a restricted State Funeral Church Service will be hosted on Friday, 18th March, 2022, at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross; and burial will be at the Presidential Burial Site on the same day after the Church service.