Malawian Former president Joyce Banda has said she wants the younger generation to take up leadership, taunting President Peter Mutharika that at 80-years he should be retiring like her husband former Chief Justice Richard Banda – his age mate.

She was speaking on Sunday at a rally in Mzuzu before Tonse Alliance presidential candidate Lazarus Chakwera, who is Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president and his running mate Saulos Chilima–who is UTM Party leader and the country’s estranged Vice-President addressed the crowds.

Mutharika, 80, is seeking a fresh mandate in the July 2 fresh presidential election and has picked 41-year-old Atupele Muluzi, son of former president Bakili Muluzi as his running mate.

Banda, who is 70, said she doesn’t even want to contest for presidency in future but is backing Chakwera.

She wondered how someone in the 80s – an octogenarian – would still be contesting for presidency and rallied his supporters to back the Chakwera presidential ticket in the July 2 election.

“My husband Ada Richard Banda has been Chief Justice in Malawi and Swaziland and is retired. He is 80 years. Now I hear someone of his age still wants to be President,” said Banda, who governed Malawi in 2012 to 2014.

She said Malawi should not be saddled with leaders who ought to be enjoying their retirement in peace and quiet.

Banda said the political top is disturbingly a greying lot.

She has since called for clean politics, stressing that political party leaders should sell their agenda as opposed to perpetuating violence.

During the Mzuzu rally, Chakwera and Chilima said their parties–which contested in the annulled elections as rivals–will merge and blend manifestos to serve people better.

Nyasa TV