Historians have implored politicians in the country to embrace Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda's legacy of conceding defeat during the forthcoming elections.

This comes as Malawi will hold General Elections on 16 September this year.

As the country immortalizes the life of Dr. Banda today, Lost History Foundation Executive Director, Conleith Sellenje, says in 1994, Kamuzu displayed great statesmanship after he peacefully surrendered power to the first multiparty president, Dr. Bakili Muluzi.

Sellenje said Kamuzu Banda congratulated Bakili Muluzi as the winner even when the vote counting was underway.

"My message to the politicians as the September polls draw closer, this year's elections losers should accept it peacefully for the sake of Malawians like what Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda did in 1994," he said.

Meanwhile, Culture and Traditions analyst, Aupson Ndabazake Thole, described Dr. Banda as a great leader who fought for independence, instilled hard work, discipline and patriotism at all levels, ensured food security and stabilitized economy.

Political scientist, Vincent Rangel, said though some dissents reportedly lost their lives during the one party era, Dr. Banda remains a leader who developed the country, promoted unity in the political spectrum, and ensured that there was no regionalism like today.

He gave an example of party strongholds where currently," the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and United Democratic Front (UDF) are for the southern region, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) for the centre, while the north is divided".

Malawi set aside every 14 May, as a holiday to commemorate the life of the first president.

Hastings Kamuzu Banda who was born in Kasungu in 1898 and died in 1997, was the first president of Malawi, serving from 1966 to 1994. 

Banda pursued his medical training in the United States and Scotland, and practiced medicine in Ghana.

He led the country's nationalist movement and independence struggle against British colonial rule, eventually becoming a strong leader with a one-party, autocratic regime.