Guest Tribute, By Hon. Imanga Wamunyima Jr, Aspiring Candidate, Member of Parliament, Nalolo Constituency, Western Province
It has been a difficult few days trying to pen a tribute befitting Dr. Canisius Banda since I learnt of his passing on 31st July 2026.
I first came into close contact with Dr. Banda in 2013 when he assumed the position of Vice President (Politics) of the United Party for National Development (UPND). At the time, I was an active member of the UPND Lusaka Central Constituency Youth Wing. However, that was merely our first physical meeting. In truth, I had met Dr. Banda years earlier through his weekly Intellectual Interface column in The Post newspaper. I looked forward to reading his articles every week. He was exceptionally well-read, a brilliant thinker, and an outstanding writer.
Little did I know then that Dr. Banda would later play such a significant role in both my political journey and my personal life. What stood out most about him was his humility. Despite the nearly thirty-year age difference between us, he insisted that I address him simply as “Canisius.”
“Imanga, don’t call me Veep or Doc. Just call me Canisius,” he remarked during one of our encounters.
Sometime in early 2015, on an early morning, he gave me a phone call and asked me to meet him at Cresta Golfview Hotel.
“I see you are consistent at party meetings,” he said. “Pilgrim, I see things in you that perhaps you do not yet see yourself. You are a luminary, and I implore you to faithfully pursue your desire for elective office. But first, get married and build your family. Let us meet here weekly for these discussions. I want to be one of your mentors.”
Those words remain etched in my memory.
Not long afterwards, Dr. Canisius Banda honoured my wife and me by accepting to be the Guest of Honour at our wedding, a gesture that spoke volumes about the kind of man he was.
To cut a long story short, Dr. Banda and I developed a friendship that endured well beyond our eventual political divergence. Whenever we could not find time to meet, we would spend hours on the phone discussing politics, leadership, faith, history, and life itself.
He was a humble intellectual giant, wise, engaging, gracious, and always willing to invest in younger people. He possessed a rare gift with words. I still remember when his colleague, Vice President (Administration) Richard Kapita, resigned. Canisius wrote one of his characteristically brilliant articles titled “Kapita Apita.” It reflected the wit, creativity, and sharp intellect that made his writing so memorable.
There is so much more that could be said about Canisius. He was a family-centred man. He talked highly of his son, Miles. His life touched many, and his influence extended far beyond the political arena. I count myself fortunate to have known him not merely as a leader, but as a mentor, a friend, and someone who genuinely believed in my potential long before many others did.
Go well, Canisius. Go well, Dr. Banda. May your soul rest in eternal peace.
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