Friday, April 19, 2024

Zambia concerned about disaster in Haiti – RB

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President Rupiah Banda

President Rupiah Banda says Zambia is concerned about the earthquake that swept through Haiti last week and killed hundreds of people.President Banda told journalists at the Lusaka International Airport yesterday that Zambia was very concerned about what happened in Haiti.[quote]

He however said there was little that Zambia could do about the disaster that occurred in that country. “We are very concerned about what happened in Haiti. It is really terrible,” he said.

He was speaking to journalist this afternoon when he arrived from Rwanda where he had gone to hold talks with that country’s President, Paul Kagame.

President Banda said he traveled to Rwanda to confer with Mr. Kagame on the situation in the Great Lakes Region (GLR).

He said this was important because as Chairperson of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, he has to present a report to the African Union (AU) summit slated for the end of this month.

President Banda was accompanied to Rwanda by Foreign Affair Minister, Kabinga Pande, Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, Dickson Jere and other senior government officials.

Vice President George Kunda, Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa, Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani, Energy Minister Kenneth Konga and other senior government officials were at hand to receive the President at the airport.

Others that welcomed the President Banda back home are service and defence chiefs.

President Banda’s plane touched down at the Lusaka International airport at 17:15 hours.

ZANIS

53 COMMENTS

  1. Shikapwasha this morning said Govt needed to be told officially inwriting for them to be able to consider any financial assistance to Haiti!!:o. Just how silly can one be?

  2. Zambians are also concerned about your movements.this confer fimo fimo, should have been done over the phone.If you need talk time, i can be of help.

  3. Concerned about the tragedy in Haiti but there’s nothing really he can do about it, just offer your condolences and prayers on behalf of the nation, might just help easy the pain a little bit

  4. 1. Botswana has donated p1 million to the republic of haiti, as humanitarian aid following the devastating earthquake that took place in haiti ,Rwanda – us$100,000, according to rwanda’s new times newspaper.South africa – the government has announced a three-phase assistance package: deployment of doctors to a search and rescue team led by rescue south africa, a non-profit company; deployment of forensic pathologists to help identify bodies; provision of unspecified humanitarian aid in partnership with south african ngos .Senegal – president abdoulaye wade has pledged free land to haitians wishing to be “repatriated”, news agencies reported. Spokesman mamadou bemba ndiaye was quoted as saying: “senegal is ready to offer them parcels of land – even an entire region. It all…

  5. #3 Smoothcriminal:-j, Waseka mudala? Nipa Zed pano, ka. With the kind of Bootlicking going on, anything goes, just to keep you in good standing with the Party.

  6. It all depends on how many haitians come.”

    Liberia – independent star radio reported the government had contributed $50,000.

    Nigeria – the 121-strong police contingent serving with the un mission in haiti is working with rescue teams in the capital, port-au-prince, according to this day newspaper. The country’s vice-president goodluck jonathan said in a statement: “as the international community mobilizes in aid of haiti, it can count on nigeria’s support.

  7. Good Morning

    Yes, we are deeply concerned. Haiti is in a very bad state – they don’t only need prayers, they also need money. It looks like there will be a lot of orphans there.

  8. Even a $1000 dollars can mean alot if the leaders sacrificed their allowances and gave them to Haiti’s relief that can mean alot.

  9. #10 big baby, Am afraid it is you who needs to keep quiet here. Haiti is poor, for your own information. This has nothing to do with ants or elephants but humans like me (i dont know about you)! Its a question of sharing even the little we have my friend. We have done that before as a nation. Just recently we were donating maize to Zim…unless you are not aware. Am extremely dissapointed with your comment. And by the way, ulatamba TV? Because if you do or did, you would not pass such a comment. What is happening there is heart breaking. You keep quiet.

  10. #9 Nine Chale, Good morning. Am so upset with #10s comment. Surely, amidst all the suffering going on there, efyo ungalanda sure? Am touched! Speechless.[-(

  11. We are all concerned Mr. President. But if you can have just a quarter of the same total concern you have for Haiti for the poor starving Zambians, It can really go a long way.:-w

  12. Why does the President only do local news???Why can’t we hera about him anywhere esle but the Lusaka airpot? Someone help.

  13. The president’s comments are not surprising, that’s his way of style. I fully agree with #11, no matter how little a donation is, it means a lot to people who are desperately in need. Our president would rather donate a pregnant cow to a fellow president who might not even need it and a piece of land to a tyrant king who controls everything in his country. Surely Zambians feel the tragedy in Haiti.

  14. LT a lot of web sites have been running this donation thing its not always and government alone take the initiative you are an online paper the POST could do the same or is it that you cant trust yourself with money.

    Come on you people get real it makes me sick that people always have to go GRZ this and that most people in there countries do these things by themselves when government is not doing it. And you know what it gives them even more reason to critisize them not just seating there and waiting .

    This my friends is the problem with the way of thinking with Zambias and its a shame even those abroad encourage it instead of opening there brothers and sisters eyes. You have to work hard to ean the right to complain about others not doing the same simples

  15. Ba Moze 1 na 2 ala mulansekesha sana tamumfwa!!!. But you are right pa 12 . Mps should sacrifice their allowances starting from Shikapwasha and Mulongoti lead by example.

  16. It is really a sad development in Haiti. This is no joking matter. Watching the TV actually over the scene up there breaks my heart. The situation is desperate. I don’t believe there is nothing we can do. How I would love the first family to set the pace and the ministers and business houses will follow suit.

  17. ^:)^ #18 thats very true,he would rather donate a fat cow to a fellow president who will careless as to what will happen to it and give out brown envelopes to cadres,to him its some form of investment,he needs them to return the favour in one way or the other,thats how the mafioso work,all the mmd caders are just quiet coz they know,to them its a waste of resources,but if it was something about Sata or the economy,they would have been barking like mad dogs and reason why they are quiet is coz of #6 AGAPE,bravo for that infor Man

  18. Maybe Zambia can deploy some of those soldiers that are doing nothing but earning salaries. I know it costs money but it will at least give them some experiance whilest helping Haiti out too.:-?

  19. Can anyone ansa: why cant RB stop some of his trips so that, that money can go towards helping Haiti? luckily mu mulu tamwaba earthquake..!! NALEKA..

  20. Hey but RB is scraffy,man! All these meetings cant be held over the phone or satelite broadcast instead of traveling all the time- African seminar for bigger state houses, RB speeding off to the airport looking scraffy-African seminar for more wives for leaders, RB mudeke! Surely VP cant attend to such? Just goes to show the man does nothing and has so much time on his hands. No wonder hes always dressed like a playboy not a leader. Maybe we buy him a robe to walk around in like Hugh.
    And as for Haiti he should have just kept quite instead of ‘sounding concerned’ like there is anything he can do. Ya the man is hopeless! Its not even that he is dull he is too old and lazy to do anything please nursing home called they want RB!:((

  21. Shikulu ba RB, do not be concerned verbally, act now. Do not limit the genersoity of our people to your thinking. There is a lot Zambeziland can do to help in Haiti. Deploying some of our service men and women there and raising funds (no matter how small) to support organisations that are already on the ground could be some help.
    Move, big man! Suppose it was us going through such!
    Let us give a hand where we can, however we can.

  22. Listening to what RB said upon arroval from Kigali one wonders what he meant as Zambia we are deeply concerned with what happened to Haiti but there little or nothing we can do. I hope he was caught off guard and since the issue has not been tabled before cabinet. There is really cause for concern on our Govt to donate something. Last year a donation was made to Zimbabwe a country whose economic woes are man made. GRZ should be seen to do something for our fellow human being who are suffering that side of the planet. I dont think RB’s govt cant get a slice from Disaster Management fund. Pipo out there let us help out.

  23. Can’t we send bottled mineral water e.g Vitamin Water instead of just sounding concerned? #10, a chartered cargo plane full of mineral water would mean a lot to haitians, you mother****er!

  24. Can’t we send bottled mineral water e.g Vitamin Water instead of just sounding concerned? #10, a chartered cargo plane full of mineral water would mean a lot to haitians, you DOG!

  25. How I wish our President and indeed the government can resolve the issues affecting the millions of orphans and street kids in Zambia who survive the Haiti disasters on a daily basis, year-in and year-out.

    We are taught in Mathew 7,
    3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
    4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?
    5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

    Amen

  26. There was a topic on metro fm here in SA. They were discussing having a parent who says so many embarassing comments you dont even want to be seen in public with them. this is the same for our presido Lupiah. These comments are most embarassing, who was he trying to impress for goodness sake.

  27. #31 Mule the situation of our street kids is totally different form the one in Haiti. Having you been seing the TV images on human crisis the earth quake has caused. Please napapata lets us be realistic. When we had floods in 2008 we sent SOS to the world and the response was positive. Imagine the entire city like Lusaka crubling in a minute or so for that matter at night. Not even state house being spared what more with structures in the shanties like Misisi etc. Let us learn to be level headed when responding to crisises caused by natural calamities.

  28. African countries like Zambia should also learn from this incident the importance of a well developed infrastructure. Accessibilty is important in an emergency

  29. #34 Investigator, Just shows you how people are underestimating the devastation caused by the quake: Imagine them equating the situation there to street kids in Zed! Unbelievable!! 95% of acity was razed in just seven seconds, and you can talk of street kids? The importance of television and international news has never become so important like today! Just Unbelievable!!

  30. #25 Sharp coming to think of it has Kunda ever been out of Zambia for official meetings without RB? Becouse all we see is him escouting or waiting for RB at the LSK Airport

  31. # 11 you are right , no one is immune of natural disaster hence Zambia should by all means contribute even 1000 dollars 2moro it is us…how will it feel if other people said they is nothing they can do?

  32. There is something he can do – fly less and send the money he would have used for the unnecessary trip as a donation. I agree that every little bit no matter how small counts. He is really so dull:(

  33. Zambia concerned about disaster in Haiti – RB. Mr. Banda, we are also concern about Zambia that is why we want you out. YOU ARE A DISASTER TOO.

  34. The situation in Haiti is a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. All humans can contribute something – be it financial, material, labour, emotional, spiritual etc – to ease the pain and restore the country.
    It is utterly pathetic that some people here can even compare what is happenning in Haiti to the plight of our local street kids. Another foolish excuse is to say we are poor. This is a crisis, damn it, and even the poor can help out in some way. What we need is leadership to lead, but RB is clearly short of the challenge. Bwafya!

  35. %%-#30 you dung,does a dog reason?you smoke weed i guess.
    you are forgiven.
    #12 and 13 TV is not an issue.Iam very ashamed with you (#30 included).opinions expressed here are not a guarantee to attack someone in that barbaric manner.
    respect my lines of thought as i do.
    which PROPER aid record does Zambia hold????donations to Zimbabwe????,Mozambique????? moreover these donations(not AID) raise dust in our home ccountry.
    oopsss!!!!~o)

  36. #47, Seems you’ve just learnt the word, ‘barbaric!’. Any idea what it means? For your own information, no one attacked you. Take a chill pill. Its too early for such.

  37. #44, you say we have “no capacity”? I suggest you read my post above at #33.

    I personally do not like people with defeatist attitudes. You think all these countries donating have no problems of their own at home? I bet you are the type who just fold their arms at funerals – after all the rich relatives are there! Money has never been enough to anyone. Basic economics tells us of limited means to serve unlimited needs.

    Times like these distinguish principled from unprincipled nations. Contributions can take any form, beyond prayers but action.

    Zambia should contribute something! Besides, that is how countries earn international respect. Already, from Africa you can see the sort of countries that have stepped up so far.

  38. Just heard of a church in Lusaka that received K20 million from its members this week for Haiti. I guess they felt there was SOMETHING they could do. It is being sent to Samaritans Purse which is on the ground there with doctors and supplies.

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