Dr. Banda, while thanking God, has described the disaster as a blessing in disguise for Malawians to reflect and unite, saying, Malawi needed a time like this to hold hands and move forward by supporting those in need of relief items.

The former leader said this on Saturday in Zomba Sondole, where Joyce Banda Foundation was donating assorted relief items including, maize, blankets, fortified porridge and sugar among others, to over 400 households that were hit by the cyclone induced floods.

Dr. Banda has also disclosed plans to reach out to people of Thyolo, Nsanje and Limbuli in Mulanje with similar initiative.

"This is not time for politics, I think God has given us this time to throw away politicking and hold hands and work together , I am truly grateful to God. I hope that going forward this is how we are going to look at our nation," noted Banda.

Member of Parliament for Zomba Sondole, Aboo Naliwa has described the support as timely, saying most of the area's 5, 000 affected families are yet to be reached with support.

"I am thankful to the Joyce Banda Foundation for the timely response to our cries here. Most of my people are still waiting for government's relief support so this is a good response for the organization," said Naliwa.

The Joyce Banda foundation has been distributing relief items to survivors of Cyclone freddy in response to president chakwera’s tigwirane manja campaign.