How did Hastings Banda become president for life?

Hastings Kamuzu Banda became president for life in 1971 following his consolidation of power as the leader of Malawi.12

After Malawi became a republic in 1966, Banda was elected president and established a one-party state under the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). By maintaining firm control over all aspects of the government and ruthlessly suppressing opposition—often through the imprisonment or execution of his critics—Banda effectively eliminated political rivals and solidified his autocratic rule. This concentration of power allowed him to be declared president for life in 1971.231

Banda’s regime remained in place until 1994, when widespread domestic protests and the withdrawal of international financial aid forced him to legalize other political parties and submit to the country's first multiparty elections.12