Former Zambian President in affair with Zimbabwean

Former Zambian President Rupiah Banda’s marriage is on the rocks after he had an alleged extra marital affair with a Zimbabwean woman in USA. Zambian media has reported that the veteran politician’s marriage with Thandiwe was in trouble after he romanced the Zimbabwean woman based in America.

The pair met when Banda had taken up a role as a resident lecturer at Boston University earlier this year. It has also been claimed that Banda had been patronising drinking places in the company of the Zimbabwean much to the chagrin of Thandiwe who was with him in Boston.

Banda’s beer drinking problem is said to have started while he was at Sate House but became worse in America. When Banda returned from America in June, he left his wife behind- a situation that sparked serious rumours about the couple’s alleged growing differences.

But in an interview, Banda’s administrative secretary Mikatazo Wakumelo refuted the reports. Said Wakumelo:“ I am not going to waste my time commenting on such foolish innuendoes. We don’t do that.”

“Those stories are false and have no credibility. How can that be true? It’s false,” he added before cutting the line.

Efforts to contact him again and get more information on the matter proved futile as his phone went unanswered. Thandiwe, 40, married the 75-year-old Banda almost a decade ago.

In an interview with BBC Network Africa programme in 2010, Thandiwe, a political science teacher, said the wide age difference between Banda and her was not an issue.