Friday, March 29, 2024

Banda leaves Congo for Namibia

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President Rupiah Banda yesterday left Congo Brazaville for Namibia to attend the 30th Jubilee Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC).

President Banda, who is expected to take over the position of chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation at the Windhoek Summit, is expected to champion greater trade and political stability in the region.

Mr Banda left Lusaka International Airport around 07:00 hours and travelled to Namibia via Congo Brazzaville where he had a stopover for few hours to join other African leaders who had been invited to attend the 50th Independence Celebrations of that country.

Special assistant for Press and public relations Dickson Jere said the president was invited to be among the key dignitaries by his counterpart, Dennis Sassou-Nguesso.

President Banda is currently the deputy chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

After attending the celebrations in Brazzaville, President Banda and his delegation proceeded proceed to Namibia for the SADC summit, which is expected to tackle key issues of regional integration, economic development and the enhancement of trade.

He is expected to share his proactive response to the challenges of the global economic downturn that ensured that Zambia emerged in a stronger position than many other African nations, enjoying 6.4 per cent economic growth during 2009.

Mr Jere said the President was a strong supporter of the Free Trade Agreements among SADC members, spearheaded by the launch of the Free Trade Area in 2008, and has championed co-operation as a basis for economic growth.

Zambia’s exports doubled between 2000 and 2005, largely through increased trade with SADC countries.

Mr Banda was accompanied by First Lady Thandiwe Banda and other senior Government officials.

And the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZBNC) reported on its main news monitored last night that President Banda arrived in Brazaville at 09:28 hours.

While there, the president pledged to revive the Joint Permanent Commission between the two countries.
[ Times of Zambia ]

25 COMMENTS

  1. :d Ya , Have all this appointments and independence celebrations just started. I dont know what the old presidents were doing. Viiva The Hour. Tavionelanji

  2. HERB I feel sori for my bigman but what can you do thats what your busy office demands a lot of international commitments unfortunately you cant ask sata of HH to represent you at these meetings. Your presence is needed not that of your VP, mutati pande or shikapwasha. go meet zuma, chikwete, pohambe and other regional leaders. ignorant pipo think you derive pleasure out of these trips hell no. Its your duty as chief executive of zambia

  3. #7 kwahae were do you think RB has gone to play. do you want him to miss the SADC heads of state meeting. have you seen how much obama and cameron travel.

  4. PF=Mr. Sata (Third term bid chief campaign manager, 90 day economic miracle specialist), this is an important trip. Please don’t politicize it.

  5. The ever mobile President! Last week it was Botswana, this week he leaves Congo for Namibia. next week, it will be Seychelles! Ba RB should be awarded for being the most travelled President of the Decade!

  6. If the man cant differentiate between an important and insignificant trip, all his trips will be condemned. One rotten groundnut spoils the whole bag.

  7. LT, do you have any investigative repoters? Please find out how much these trips cost, may be skyBanda will start thinking twice. Who owns the plane he uses, you can start from there.

  8. The way I hate flying, especially the turbulence experienced when decending into Lusaka when over the Kariba, I wonder how an old person would enjoy needless being in the air.

  9. RB l.i.t.o.l.e lyamuntu ipitanafye ngembwa yabindula…..limbi abakashi bala.mu.chi.tisha so kulabutaukafye.hehehehehehe

  10. How much allowances has he made so far for these non-stop flights? Mu BOMA that is how they make bucks! Shikulu twafweni!

  11. RB has more flying hours than some pilots l know pa Zed.This president is a scam,no style and no vision for the nation all he looks forward to is flying and he does care where he going as long as he is in the air.

  12. What do you expect from someone who had retired and was only waiting for death at his farm? I think we should not expect much from this granny since his thinking is now like that of a child, though we should put pressure on him.

  13. Honestly, Banda’s completely useless, endless and expensive foreign trips have struck the lunatic level. In the movie Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks stopped running in Monument Valley, Arizona. One does not need to be a fortune teller to figure out Banda’s final flying chapter will be a scene typical of 911. And this will not end there, there will be a bye election and a costly state funeral onchestrated by his goons like VJ, Mlongoti etc. The solutions to our political and economic ills are here, not in the air, Congo or Namibia.

  14. :di wonder wat he came to do in nam,coz i attended the summit nothing senseable cme frm him,KK was far much better than hm,cme 2011 it wil be my first time to vote all i can say,sorry RUPIAH BWEZANI BANDA,i gat no time 4 u,enough is enough,first of doesnt he feel guity every time visiting other pipos countries wich are developing and clean,oh my bad no words for u bra,bt our money is not put to to use

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