Parliamentary Chief Whip Vernon Mwaanga says President Banda’s foreign trips are aimed at promoting economic development in Zambia and are in line with an international trend of economic diplomacy.
Economic diplomacy is the process through which countries tackle the outside world, to maximize their national gains in all fields of activity including trade, investment and other forms of economically beneficial exchanges.
Mr Mwaanga said Zambians should be proud that the President is marketing the country at a regional and international level and bringing investment to the country.
“No country is an island; our country has a good reputation both at regional and international level hence the reason we are being invited because of the active role Zambia plays in regional, African and international foras.
Zambians should be proud that they are recognized and this helps in attracting investors to the country,” he said.
Mr Mwaanga, who is a seasoned diplomat, said the investors that come to Zambia after President Banda’s trips create employment for the Zambians and they contribute to Government’s tax revenue.
He said it is sad that the President is criticized when he is playing a role of economic diplomacy of being the number one sales and marketing person for the country.
Mr Mwaanga said no President everywhere in the world travel because economic diplomacy requires a Head of State to sell and market his country personally.
He said in economic diplomacy, the president is a major factor and for Zambia all the trips the president has undertaken to countries like China, Turkey, South Africa, Malawi, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe have been very beneficial to the country in terms of wooing investors.
Mr Mwaanga said it is at conferences and during state visits that presidents exchange ideas on how they are managing their economies.
He said economic diplomacy is one of the aspects included in Zambia’s foreign policy.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
The veteran diplomat has spoken. Certainly PF kaponyas can not understand and appreciate the benefits of the presidential trips, all they know is imbibing chibuku and tujilijili at Kulima Tower and singing praises for the Great Satan.
Lecture to them Honorable. Zambia has successfully realized her political emancipation and not its economic.The new world order post cold war is premised on economic diplomacy. To long for an isolationist president other than a multilateralist in a world of interdependency is asking for national failure.
To realise our economic emancipation, Zambia with its own economic safe guuards has to open up and keep gaining momentum in the Global market place. We need to work with others to harness opportunities and edge that come with economic diplomacy. As much as we are preoccupied with a spirit of realizing and fostering a local entreprising citizenry, the nation has to appreciate acceptance benefit from the Global market place. The treaties, conventions and MOUs RB signs on our behalf have the propensity to give Zambia a strategic edge.
Cannot be surprise about what comes out of VJ as he is a RB’s dependant and has to support anything that RB does or does not do.
He is one of the people the President meant when he said that “Zambians should shed off their dependency syndrome…..”
What do you expect of a drug dealer?
In contemporary world order, nation states and power political actors are faced with a new frontier for economic diplomacy. Zambia is no exception because people will not thrive on political rhetoric and insults. Economic diplomacy and economic security have risen to the top of the Banda administration policy agenda, driven by a mix of political and economic factors. RB strongly understands that economic diplomacy can be used to generate and increase economic security. This is of eminent importance given the trend in globalisation with new economic powers showing their muscles, stronger each day. Pieces on the chase board have to be moving to foster our economic edge.
I mean “chessboard”
Pieces on the chessboard have to be moving to foster our economic edge.
it’s not enough to just bring investors who will also come with expatriate welders, accountants, messengers, etc.
We need to plan for investment so that it can benefit a larger number of people than it currently does. in the form of increased govt revenue through taxes, decent paying jobs (not minimum wage jobs), improved housing and roads.
As it is it’s costly for me a working man to have investors around. my taxes are still high because i subsidise the mines who don’t pay much tax, my roads are being Destroyed by trucks carrying copper meaning more money is spent fixing roads than is spent building new ones, foreign nationals get the senior and better paying jobs.
Its time cadres here started thinking in a structured manner about the importance of diplomacy for economic life of the nation. Dispensing menus of insults against RB will not do for the embattled opposition politician.
No.8 just go to hell with your VJ and tell him to go back into retirement we don’t want our kids seeing his funny head on TV not good for their dreams.
In a world of economic trade wars, we are settling for Economic diplomacy which undeniably is in best public interest. We have to be real and thinking about some implications of the emerging world order faced by the rise of China and other developing economic powers such as India and Brazil. In same vein I strongly feel it is relevant to see that times have changed and will keep changing in a world where combined share of the US and EU (trade), the game makers of the rules for the WTO, will reduce to about one third of world trade by 2025. Clearly this can not remain without consequences but becoming proactive in the market place for our common good.
Yes, he may travel but the country is paying alot of money to hire the planes – who owns these planes the president is using? we don’t even have an international airline for the head of state. Our country owns no internation airlines, no planes. Countries like Kenya and Ethiopia are carrying Zambians across international lands – COME ON! Where is the sences in that. Economic development means are are able – do not hitch hike.
The president of Botswana is never seen on internation visits or trips to foreign lands and has managed to develop his small country with prosperity.
We need job creation in Zambia for economic development – to export agriculture products, we need proper networks – international outlets – The Badly Needed International Airlines of Zambia.
Welcome back VJ
nonsense..nyandule iwe vj..u are sued and can’t work on your own…
Mr Mwaanga, who is a seasoned drug dealer,womaniser,marriage breaker,election rigger, said the investors that come to Zambia after President Banda’s trips create employment for the Zambians and they contribute to Government’s tax revenue.ohucccchhhhhhhh
Why economic Diplomacy matter to land locked mother Zambia?
In the saturated Global market place decision making processes in the face of trade wars, scarce FDI, stringent technology transfer and resource value addition has increasingly become more complex. As the number of players increases, as does heterogeneity the harder it is becoming to gain from the system. We are talking of a market place with an emergence of new economies with very different institutions and cultural background. These developing trends are changing norms and values creating an impact on international trade, investment and strategic relations. Bilateral and multilateral bonds matter like never before in this paradigm shift.
hehehehe…#15 senior citizen continue hallucinating! let rb continue travelling while the opposition continue winning elections.
The bootlickers are having a field day, but only the uneducated, greedy and blind followers would listen to all the tripe you a-r-s-e lickers are spewing. rupiah bandas trips are nothing but a waste of resources for his own gain. No matter how hard you try to justify his tourist jaunts, they are nothing but a waste of money and a way for him to earn some cash. In fact this is nothing else but legitmatised plunder. On vj he is nothing but a form 5 with a bit of exeprience in foreign affairs. Who doesn’t know this man for what he is, a bloody drug dealer and opportunist. He bloody well knows were his bread is buttered. If people can sing accolades about rupiah, a failure and vj, a schemer, then well, you know where this country is headed, nowhere.
There are more effective way to improve our economic relationships with international stakeholders than burning fuel and emitting greenhouse gases in a presidential jet by one individual. This is definitely not the most effective way of using our precious resources. We have missions abroad that can serve the purpose they are intended for by bridging our economy with those nations.
In this day and age, we have satellite technology that enables people to have face to face meetings without the need to physically transport themselves. This technology is available everywhere. Skype is a good example.
What productivity is there when a person holds a one hour meeting but spends 4 days traveling, 2 days resting and one day shopping/ site seeing etc
# 17,
By ignorantly belaboring to rewite history with your way of looking down at a seasoned Diplomat’s education and his high profile Diplomati corp’s experience indellible in all public domains, you are instead insulting Sata a sub 2 school drop out whose only career is that of colonial government constable, train shanter and cook for muzungu. Who doesn’t know that the man you are struggling to postulate as an upstart diplomat, is Zambia’s most served top veteran diplomat with trails of service that run at the UN, Zambian Diplomat to Moscow, Washington DC, Guyana and many more besides being FA Minister?
RB’s economic Diplomacy is an asset to the country. With certainty we believe our developing economy will soon integrate into existing Global systems, but while we do so we will play a significant role in changing the system and its norms, institutions and what-not with it.
We have prepared for shifts in relative global economic power, and the expected changes in the context and frameworks for economic diplomacy.
Senior citizen stop telling us nonsence you are now being s.t.u.p.i.d find a life or go to church than boring us with these silly things you writing here- bastard chap!
We cannot depart from the growing Global trend of economic diplomacy and settle for isolation and nationalism utopia Marxist tabloids and clueless populist opposition are propagating. Global economic interdependence urges states to put economic diplomacy at the forefront of their foreign policy agenda at issue RB understands better. The truth is that this era of globalization has significantly raised the importance of economic diplomacy. The system is of interdependence on the level of a country’s economic interactions with the rest of the world.
This is just a myth by ba Mwaanga, This country will only develop once we start appreciating our own labour and living within our own means! As country we waste alot of money on non productive activities where the only motivation is chewing money by way of sitting allowances…workshops,endless seminars,commissions etc and of course flying around in the name of marketing the country..
Its time for us to apply ourselves on the international stage. We have to perfect in the use of political influence and relationships to promote and influence international trade and investments, to improve on functioning of markets and to address market failures against us and also to reduce costs and risks of cross border transactions. Always our economic diplomacy will be premised on commercial policy and many activities of non governmental organisations (NGO’s) we treasure in our successful democracy.
Under RB’s economic Diplomacy with a good MMD foreign policy doctrine, the country is getting smarter in the use of economic assets and relationships to increase and strengthen the mutual benefits of cooperation and politically stable relationships. By and with this we are fostering national prosperity and much critical economic security. Times as this deserve leadership that is internationalist than clueless utopia driven populist. This is why popularly Zambian see no alternative in the arena other than RB for 5 more years of hope, stability, unity and progress.
What in the name of god is VJ still doing in politics.Still pandering to lying and thievieng presidents after all this years .people at his age are supposed to have gotten the wisdom to start preparing to exit this earth with grace.This insatiable greed for power and wealth is not good for his soul.What is he going to say on his death bed,I should have had more power and more wealth?.I bet he is going to cry mama inee.please god let me live for some more of the same, not realisising that men are mere mortals and no matter how much money or power or fame you have you still have to go and people who remember you will go to and nobody will be here on earth who remembers your greed.Caeser who slayed so many people,is he not dead and long forgotten?
So make peace with your gods and leave this ass kissing to naive young people who will go through the same process
were is the foriegne office?why shud banda be travelin wen he got people who are paid to markek zambia
It is always sad when highly seasoned diplomats like VJ are reduced to levels of blind loyalty. Unless its one of the tricks up his sleeves, that statement is very wrong. Can the ministry of Finance put up a cost benefit anaylsis and show us in monetary terms what benefit RB’s trips have brought into the country. What emplyment levels has it created. I think before those trips are made RB should look at regulation to stop externalisation of forex, strengthen our labour laws and other issues that will make the value of FDI felt by the ordinary Zambian because right now it’s as good as not having the foreign investors. Let him look at improving our road and rail infrastructure. Let him sit down and work please I beg eish chino chalo!!
Economic emancipation! So, this is the new meaning of economic emancipation. Bringing in foreigners to do jobs which can be done by Zambians and pay the so called expatriates thousands of dollars while the locals are unemployed? The outsourcing of certain operations at KCM simply means that the indian owners will no longer provide services like medical to the affected workers, and probably thats why RB procured the mobile hospitals
Senior f-u-c-k-e-d up Citizen ( am forced to call you this)
I’m not at all surprised you can come up with this. I’m not rewritinhg history nor am I belabouring the fact that rupiah banda is a corrupt failure and vj a scheming drug dealer. I dont even need to go in to detail about the characters of these two. All I will say is, a leopard can never change its spots.
senior citizen. u thrive on poor zambians.time will come!
Senior Citizen: Get serious with your comments unless you are out of touch with what is happening back home. Are you one of the beneficiaries’ of RB’s Management? What Marketing good is he doing for Zambia? Going to Malawi to help rig the election with his diplomat chief rigger VJ?
Such a shame you can be praising a fallen Government like RB’s The man has no vision for the Country moving from one country to another like a chicken with no head. Rest of it all his sons getting in to dirty games.
If you are a real Senior citizen, raise above RB and VJ’s. The dudes are old and out of touch. We need young innovative and responsible Zambian Leaders. Retire Senior citizen????
I caputred this on LT the other day: “…..And Ms Kapwepwe revealed that government had made enormous strides in attracting Foreign Direct Investments with over US$ 1.3 billion being recorded in the first quarter of 2010 unlike last year when only US$ 195 million was recorded during the same period…..” I am mindful of the new culture of politics in Zambia which is at all costs not to believe anything that could make your opponent look good.
VJ, Senior Citizen and the rest of these foolish old people belong to the bin! If your President’s trips were about our economy, why was he sneaking out and lying about where he was? Why was Dickson Jere stopping reporters from following chi Rupiah on his trips? You old people have taken advantage of our culture which demands respect for the elderly and I think you have just squandered it. I for one have no respect for old people that steal from their own children!! Remember that one day we will be in charge and we will remember you when you are unable to steal any more on how nicely you looked after us. Remember that Senior Citizen!!
MR VJ you chief rigger with out shame. At your age you have run out of ideas but encouraging others to rig in order to be in power. your days are numbered i could not even recognise you the picture you just have a big head left i hope it helps you to think well come 2011 you will not be there to rig for anyone or keep any government position. Macha is still poor no development in the area for the past 50 years. What a shame I bet the village hut your father left is still there what have you got to show.
VJ the political tick! Shetani wamupamba wakaana nokufwa!!
Kaunda did not move so much even in his entire office as president and yet we had good economic standing. Jobs were there, companies were being created on everyday basis. You can name them all without making a mistake. Now kamwendomujila has only managed to bring chiluba near him and these are the investors or infestation some of you are talking about. It does not make sense if you go out with over a hundred so called government officials and bring a company that will create a single job opportunity for the country. Lets face the facts the man is on holiday. I am sure he must have been missing flying when he was at the farm and watch the planes fly by!
no wards but just shaking my head at the nonsense this drug dealer is talking about.
Mwanga is in his last days of HIV/AIDS where people sabaila as they near death. This is what is happenning to VJ. Remember , it was so with Tetamashimba.
@39 – well put. True to the fact, late stages of AIDS is to sabaila!! VJ just die, you are of no use to the country.
In line with what naimwe ba VJ? Ekalilenifye ba VJ twanaka naimwe.
the vetaran rigger & drug dealer sucks coz America uses Hilary Clinton in terms of foreign diplomacy then why not Zambia to use Kabinga Mpande.RB has a lot to do here @ home thats where his office is & not in China or Turkey.Why not impower us the citizens as local investors? thats why the foreign investors always mistreat us pipo coz you beg them to come here thereby underminig our diginity.why presidents from other countries do not come here to woo us Zambians as investors? I smell pu.ssy & the smoke blowin from the weed which VJ used to deal…..
Rupiah’s foreign trips are just too much, i doubt if all these trips have been budgeted for. I wonder how this president can market our country when has even failed to convince people in Luena and chifubu to vote for his MPs, how is he going to convince investor to come to Zambia?
Does Zambia have someone called “The Minister of Foreign Affairs”? May be it’s time they thought of introducing such a government portfolio to free up their president. The last time I checked all governments have someone like that and it’s working for them. I’m sure it would work for Zambia too. Even Shaka the Zulu had someone like that on his cabinet. wasn’t his name called Rupia Banda or was it Dingiswayo Banda? May be I’m just having a senior moment. Whatever!!!
# 39,40,42….shame on you all,VJ has never been convicted as a drug dealer,where do you get your facts from? have’nt you heard of “innocent till proven guilty”? So as far as am concerned VJ is a great man,he has served under every president this country has had.
shame on you all,you sad losers!
From now on I am gonna create a political party in zambia – Steal from you zambian dot com! I will tell them wot i am gonna steal and change constitution for my own benefit!! These zambians will have the right play with my manifesto and change it as much as they want to!
# 45 ZAMBEEF shame on a.ss as well,w@t the ****k ur you shitn bout VJ that he’s never been konvicted as a drug dealer..you got to know that he is a Self Confessed Drug Dealer with crack such as mandrax.dont just shitt even if he could be your customer for zambeef meat or stepfather ,don,t defend the unknown.
45 ZAMBEEF shame on a.ss your as well,w@t the ****k ur you shitn bout VJ that he’s never been konvicted as a drug dealer..you got to know that he is a Self Confessed Drug Dealer with crack such as mandrax.dont just shitt even if he could be your customer for zambeef meat or stepfather ,don,t defend the unknown
Charles Glass,
i will forgive your ignorance,when did VJ confess that he was a drug dealer.if he did why would all the presidents that we have had in zambia appoint him to such high offices?
Dont take things personal,VJ is a legend.
am sure you will neva be able to reach his standards,so please stop lying to us.Rather spend your time cleaning dishes where ever you maybe or cleaning up the back sides of the old!
#48 Charles Glass,
i will forgive your ignorance,when did VJ confess that he was a drug dealer.if he did why would all the presidents that we have had in zambia appoint him to such high offices?
Dont take things personal,VJ is a legend.
am sure you will neva be able to reach his standards,so please stop lying to us.Rather spend your time cleaning dishes where ever
SENIOR CITIZEN # ALL YOUR COMMENTS! i guess you have to be one of the mmd’s members logically speaking and this can be seen by a nursary child what you are saying in your comments is not comming from your danm heart but becouse of the position you hold..making moves or trips is not the the problem but show us the outcomes and the term is comming people are suffering in zambia, you supporting look at your selves you have been given higher positions being given money that should be given to alot of dear zambians, do you know that some people are dieying becouse of not having a k100 to buy panado? this are realities in our country am a zambian you can’t cheat me and have seen real and faithfull politicians who want for sure to help thier people outside zambia..mulekwata uluse mwebantu.
# 45 ZAMBEEF….****k that,forgive me for w@t! if VJ is a legend to you ,he aint to me ,he is a bootlicker,lier.selelela kwakawa,job seeker..mind you matha****er it is common knowledge even for a dog that VJ was drug dealer unless your thinkin is below a chimpanzee..you better get a life you bunch of garbage..
#Charles Glass
What can you expect from the likes of Zambiabeef, that have their heads deep in rb’s a.r.se, they are blind so they just talk shi/t coz their heads are in shi/t. VJ is just a selfconfessed drug deeler in mandrax, corrupt and professional ar/se licker and now he is deadman walking – look at the pic closely, its like someone suffering encephallus, big head small brain swimming in flood of meninges.
“w@t the ****k ur you shitn bout VJ that he’s never been konvicted as a drug dealer..you got to know that he is a Self Confessed Drug Dealer with crack such as mandrax”
Prove he is a self confessed drug dealer.
I qoute from Mr. Capitalist “Prove he is a self confessed drug dealer”
Yes I he is I have a recorded tape where he was confensing to one of his former mistress…you go it!
I dont care how many times the head of state travels out of the country in pursuit of economic diplomacy for as long as he learns how it is done in other countries and making it work in Zambia by involving key stakeholders. One frustrating thing is that the number of people who go with the head of state, most of them take it as an opportunity to go shopping other than harnessing ideas and putting them into best practice. Foreign trips undertaken by Zambian govt officials are merely fund raising ventures. There is too much spending whenever there is trip involving the head of state.
But ba Capitalist, the Diaspora Zambia should be the last people to use the kind of language you have used. Just an observation brother.
“Yes I he is I have a recorded tape where he was confensing to one of his former mistress…you go it! “
email me the recorded audio tape in digital format (preferably in MP3 format) at [email protected]
The country is also very capable of developing from within. So f*ck economic diplomacy .
Milking the cow thr’ foreign trips. That is how GRZ workers make money! Please do not lie to us! ALLOWANCES!
VJ should just go to rest in the museum, we do not want pre-historic dodoos like this coming here verbalising diplomacy from the days of Ramses in this contemporary age. No wonder, when HH was in Luena, he went to pay homage at the royal grave of the founder of the Lozi royalty Mbuywamwambwa when a giagantic snake suddenly materialized from the grave and looked at HH and said, ‘ah, you are Tonga! Is VJ still doing diplomacy?’ Imagine Mbuywamwambwa lived 600 years ago, that#s how encient VJ is.
What ‘promoting economic development’ is VJ talking about? This things are too complicated for VJ to understand, the man should go back to school because with his little education he will just confuse his head even more.
Unless those trips are paid for by the hosting Nation,they are completely useless.The President’s job is not to market this Country,whats the job of Cathrine Namugala?
Its so bad they have to justify his trips now. Its hopeless. Z will never develop like that. How many countries has this guy visited since taking up power? countless! Z will never develop like this.
Imwe ba VJ u shud wake up now coz a lot Zambians have become educated more than u are,so u shud be very careful wen u are cheating us pliz,sales and marketing of the country is not done by the Head of State bufi bwenu,thats why we have ministries and under ministries we hav minister-deputy minister going down those are the pipo that have to be travelling 4 economic diplomacy not the whole lot of the president,why dont we respct the position of presidency in Zambia?check out in other developing countries 4 a president to travel it shud be of very big issue and heavy security coz pipo might assasinate the president,wen did u ever see Robert Mugabe flying allover the globe coz he has serious probs interms of economy than Zambia..lol namifilwafye ukuteka ichalo guyz..lol