Banda Gets Nod As Mwanawasa 'Heir' Apparent

 Banda polled 47 votes against 11 recorded by his closest rival and finance and economic planning minister Ngandu Magande in a contest held to find a leader to steer the party after Mwanawsa died in a Paris military hospital on August 19.

The former president and chairman of the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) was buried at Lusaka's Embassy Park last Wednesday. President Ian Khama was among SADC leaders who attended Mwanawasa's funeral in the Zambian capital.