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| Malawi President, Joyce Banda |
Joyce Banda, Malawi's new president, has announced the presidential jet and fleet of 60 Mercedes limousines would be sold in a move applauded by a British cabinet minister as an example to other African leaders.
Mrs Banda said she was happy to "offload" the presidential perks, adding: "I can well use private airlines. I am already used to hitchhiking."
It means that the 62-year-old head of state – the second woman to hold the position in Africa – will fly to the Queen's Jubilee celebrations in London this weekend with British Airways.Mrs Banda said she was happy to "offload" the presidential perks, adding: "I can well use private airlines. I am already used to hitchhiking."
Andrew Mitchell, the UK International Development Secretary who is currently visiting Malawi, delivered a £33m cash injection for Mrs Banda's government.
He said the move was a sign of the "seriousness Mrs Banda is applying to overturn bad decisions taken under the previous government".
The former vice-president in Bingu wa Mutharika's government, she stepped into the presidency in April when he suffered a heart attack. The jet had annual running costs of £220,000.
Since then, she has sacked former members of the "old guard" in the cabinet and security services, brought back Malawi's old flag and pledged to lift the country's ban on homosexuality.
Most recently, she followed long-standing International Monetary Fund advice to devalue Malawi's currency by a third.
The move caused panic buying and a sharp rise in the prices of basic foods and fuel.
But her decisions have seen donors including Britain, the EU, Germany, Norway and the World Bank, re-establish warm relations with Malawi.
Mr Mitchell announced that Britain, Malawi's biggest bilateral aid donor, would send a Bank of England expert to help stabilise the currency, and handed £23 million to the Finance Ministry.
Way to go for all African leaders-country before self! Whatdyathink?
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