Depicts a portrait of Hastings Banda right, country name in banner below.

Hastings Kamuzu Banda (c. 1898 – 1997) was the leader of Malawi from 1964 to 1994, serving as Prime Minister and then its first president when the country became a republic in 1966. Educated abroad in fields like medicine and history, Banda returned to Malawi to advocate for independence from British colonial rule. He declared Malawi a one-party state under the Malawi Congress Party, and in 1971, became its President for Life. Despite modernizing infrastructure and education, Banda's rule was marked by severe repression, human rights abuses, and political killings. Under pressure, he agreed to end the one-party system in 1993 and lost the 1994 election.

Depicts a purple heron in a swamp surrounding grass dividing denomination, date above.

The purple heron (Ardea purpurea) is a widespread heron species found in Africa, Europe, and parts of Asia. While African and tropical Asian populations are mostly sedentary, Western Palearctic populations migrate seasonally. Slightly smaller and more slender than the grey heron, the purple heron has darker plumage and prefers densely vegetated wetlands, particularly reed beds, where it hunts fish, rodents, frogs, and insects. It breeds colonially, building nests from reeds near water, and typically lays about five bluish-green eggs. Though the species is declining due to wetland drainage, it is currently classified as "least concern" by the IUCN.