Etta Banda

Banda was elected to the National Assembly of Malawi at the 2009 general election, standing for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the Nkhata Bay South constituency. When President Bingu wa Mutharika formed his new cabinet in June 2009, she was made Minister of Foreign Affairs. She became the third woman to hold the position, after Lilian Patel and Joyce Banda. In April 2011, Banda had Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Malawi, expelled from the country, after a diplomatic telegram was leaked in which he criticised President wa Mutharika. Her decision to do so was made with the president's knowledge, but he gave her his retrospective approval when she made remarks to the effect that she would rather resign as foreign minister than see her president insulted with impunity. In August 2011, however, President wa Mutharika decided to sack his entire cabinet. When it was reconstituted the following month on 7 September 2011, Banda was omitted. Since December 2012 Banda has lived overseas in the UK where she holds a senior role with an educational charity.

Eta Elizabeth Banda (born 1949) is a former Malawian politician who was the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2009 to 2011. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a health professional and university administrator.