Mr Mwanawasa said Zambia respects private property and the constitution also prohibits government to nationalism private run enterprises.
He was speaking in Mbabane today when he addressed business executives of leading
manufacturing firms in Swaziland during a luncheon held at Matsapha.
He assured the business executives not to have any fears as the Zambian government
has provided incentives tailored to meet their needs.
Mr Mwanawasa said he wants to see relations between Zambia and Swaziland enhanced
through increased interactions between people of the two countries.
Chief executive officer of Palfridge, Peter McCullough, whose company manufactures
domestic and commercial refrigerators, which are also exported to Zambia, also
attended the luncheon.
Others included the managing director of Swaziland Fruits Canners (pty), Ian Vercoe,
whose company processes pineapples for the export market.
And Mr Mwanawasa disclosed that government intends setting up a fruit processing
plant in Zambia.
He challenged the Swazi business people to consider coming to Zambia to establish a
fruit processing plant.
He pointed out that the investment would be worthwhile as there are abundant fruits
such as mangoes that are just being allowed to go to waste for lack of a processing
plant.
Guys mwamona ubufi bwaba Pulezidenti!
Zambia’s ex-FM disputes sacking on health grounds
LUSAKA (AFP) — Zambia’s former foreign minister who was sacked last week by President Levy Mwanawasa ostensibly on health grounds on Saturday challenged the official reason for his dismissal, saying he was very fit.
“I am what you call fitness itself. I am fitness personified,” Mundia Sikatana told journalists, even flexing his muscles to prove his point.
Government sources said that Mwanawasa really took issue with his foreign minister over a political crisis in Zimbabwe because Sitakana insisted that Zambia should take a hard-line stance against Harare.
The Zimbabwean government was unhappy with Sitakana for publicly criticising Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe’s policies and condemning human rights abuses in that country.
“Let your attention be on Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans are flocking looking for food in the region,” Sikatana said, addressing Mwanawasa.
Sikatana, originally a clo
Ubufu bwaba Pulezidenti bulabwela
Zambia’s sacked foreign minister, Mundia Sikatana has refuted President Levy Mwanawasa’s assertion that his health was failing.
Sikatana told reporters over the weekend that he was very fit and that he was forced out because of his on how to handle such issues as the Zimbabwe crisis for which the president is backing down from his previous criticism of President Robert Mugabe’s policies that have plunged Zambia’s once prosperous southern neighbour into a basket case.
However, Sikatana continued criticizing Mugabe and his own boss whom he recently told to “let your attention be on Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans are flocking looking for food in the region”.
Mwanawasa, who recently took over as SADC chairman, sacked his foreign minister and close ally saying his health appears to be failing but without giving a concrete reason for the move.
Mwanawasa said in a statement released to state media that Sikatana had been sacked with immediate effect.
“I very much regret that I am terminating your services as minister of foreign affairs with immediate effect,” Mwanawasa said in excerpts of his letter to Sikatana contained in the statement.
Mwanawasa said Sikatana, a nominated member of parliament, would retain his parliamentary seat until it is revoked.
But Sikatana told reporters he had turned down the offer to remain in parliament because it was not an effective use of his time.
Mwanawasa replaced Sikatana with Tourism Minister Kabinga Pande and promoted his deputy, Michael Kaingu, as tourism minister.
Sikatana also accused the government of Sudan in July of complicating the crisis in the Darfur region, a no-no in African politics where brother regimes are criticized at one’s peril.
No just continue inviting the chinese only
Its hard for me to believe Mwanawasa would cite a sensitive issue as health for dismissing a minister if in fact this wasnt true. Doesnt this border on ethics or (il)legality? It certainly would have serious economic implications (income potential) if someone is fired on medical grounds, and i guess it would damage Sikatana’s political ambitions as it surely did to Mazoka even before death sadly robbed him a chance to prove his new popularity in 2006. I dont know how Sikatana sees this, but its good he’s started to talk.
I doubt whether ethics features with the smallest fraction of prominence amongst politicians. They only do things to stay in power. Cabbage was just trying to make sure the threat posed by Sikatana, if any, was stubbed out.
The truth will always prevail.
keep it own inviting them