"I am Professor Patrick Francis Manda. I was born in Zambia in 1937, in the Mazabuka District. I was educated at Catholic schools in Zambia and Malawi before studying at the National Institute of Public Administration in Ireland. I went on to earn my BA and MA in Economics at Trinity College, followed by a PhD in Politics at Leeds University.
I am a person who fought for independence many years back in the Fifties. I was in the ruling party after independence; I was involved in the politics of the country. I worked as a local government officer and later became a professor, eventually serving as Vice Chancellor and Chancellor at a Zambian university. In August 2021, I chose to come and live in Leeds again because I found myself in a political quagmire with the system. The very day the election was held, I voted and left the country. That’s how I survived. It was safer for me to come to Leeds where I knew a few people, and luckily, I was given a place to live. I lived in Seacroft when I was a student, and now I’m living in Harehills.
What inspires me, really, is to see that I contribute to society. My job is to target development in the social, economic and political spheres. I’m a person who is very fond of reading. I read books on politics, philosophy, economics, sociology and so on. I read those books because I believe they can help me determine the best way to serve others. I’ve been approached to go into business, but I was not that interested in business. What I really want is to be in a position where I can help others rather than make profit for myself.
I have 6 children, one passed away. Now I have 5. 4 are here, and 1 is in the United States. The girl in the United States is happily settled there. In fact, she’s a millionaire. I was talking to her yesterday. She’s a millionaire. She’s in business. Oh, she makes money every day. She does all sorts of things."
