(SOUNDBITE) (English) MALAWAI STATE TELEVISION NEWSREADER, SAYING:<br/> <br />"It is with most profound grief, greatest sorrow and reverential acceptance f God's will that the office of the president and cabinet announces to the Malawi nation the untimely passing of his Excellency Professor Ngwazi Bingu Wa Mutharika."<br/> <br />Two days after the 78-year-old president died of a heart attack, Vice-President Joyce Banda takes charge of the impoverished southern African country, despite fears of opposition, and declares a period of official mourning.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE)(English) MALAWI VICE-PRESIDENT JOYCE BANDA SAYING:<br/> <br />"I wish to direct that all national flags at public buildings be flown at half-mast and that the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation and private media of good will, will play sombre music as we honour this mourning period which is for 10 days."<br/> <br />Once the transfer of power is done, she will be the first female leader in southern Africa.<br/> <br />Banda, a woman rights activist, faces opposition from the ruling DPP party, from which she was booted in 2010 after an argument of succession.<br/> <br />It is believed that the late president was grooming his brother and Foreign Minister Peter Matharika for succession.<br/> <br />Mutharika came into power in 2004 and was reelected in 2009 on a platform of economic growth and food for the poor.<br/> <br />But before his death, many blamed him for chronic food, fuel and foreign exchange shortages.<br/> <br />Sarah Wali, Reuters
