Thursday, March 28, 2024

South Africa’s Gauteng premier to lead business delegation to Zambia

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Premier for Gauteng Province, Mr. David Makhura (r) speaking during the meeting with Zambia's High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba
Premier for Gauteng Province, Mr. David Makhura (r) speaking during the meeting with Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba

SOUTH Africa’s Premier for Gauteng Province, Mr. David Makhura, will lead a high powered delegation of business executives to Zambia to explore ways in which the two countries can develop more balanced trade relations.
Mr. Makhura has said that Zambia was South Africa’s important partner politically as well as in terms of business and that the country should be supported in areas that it lacked capacity.

“It is not enough to have relations at top national leadership level and that is why it is important to forge links at lower ranks because that is where real relationships occur. We realise that a lot of our companies have invested in Zambia and that trade is not properly balanced. This is why we are saying that we should not just keep taking what we produce to those countries we trade with. We need to help them to develop capacity so that they can also produce,” Mr. Makhura said.

He cited agriculture as one of the sectors that could be exploited in addressing the trade imbalance. He said there was need for South African entrepreneurs to build industrial capacity in Zambia pointing out that this would show that South Africa was after genuine investment in Zambia.

Mr. Makhura proposed to work with the Zambian High Commission in Pretoria to organise a business forum in South Africa through the Zambia-South Africa Business Council (ZSABC) after which he would like to lead a delegation to Lusaka to stage a similar event.

[pullquote]So please help us industrialise; help us to develop our capacity to can our tomatoes, our mangoes and other fruits,” Mr. Mwamba said.[/pullquote]

“Zambia is very important to South Africa, politically and businesswise. You are our biggest trading partner in the region. When something goes wrong in South Africa, Zambia feels it. So it is important that we forge stronger and mutually beneficial links at all levels,” Mr. Makhura said.

He was speaking yesterday at a breakfast meeting with Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Mwamba and First Secretary for Tourism, Mrs. Patricia Muyamwa at his office in Johannesburg.

And Mr. Mwamba has welcomed the Premier’s eagerness to help address the trade imbalance saying the current situation disadvantaged Zambians as they lost out on business opportunities to big South African entrepreneurs.

Mr. Mwamba observed that Gauteng was one of the largest economies in Africa and urged Mr. Makhura to influence corporate organisations operating in the province to move into Zambia and help with the industrialisation process.

“When your companies import into Zambia everything they need from South Africa, it means that our people are robbed of their business opportunities. So please help us industrialise; help us to develop our capacity to can our tomatoes, our mangoes and other fruits,” Mr. Mwamba said.

He said Zambia had some of the best investment climate which allowed quick incorporation of businesses, freedom to externalise profits, among other incentives.

Mr. Mwamba said the proposed ZSABC business fora were an important platform from which partnerships could be forged while others could be strengthened.

The two tentatively agreed to hold the first forum in South Africa around March, 2017 and then the second one in Zambia would follow soon after.

The High Commissioner pointed out that relations between the two countries date back to the liberation struggle era when Zambia hosted South African freedom fighters and the headquarters of the African National Congress.
Gauteng is the economic power-house of South Africa and the broader Southern African Development Community (SADC). The province, which houses the spiraling cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria, among other important municipalities, generates 43 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

South Africa’s administrative system mandates that provincial authorities are ‘distinctive’ and therefore wield legislative and executive authority of their own. The country, nonetheless, ensures collaborative governance by allowing the different wings of government to interrelate.

Issued by:
Nicky Shabolyo

31 COMMENTS

    • Here we go the second unwanted person in Zambia, Mwamba, all media budget goes to paying LT.
      What’s that picture for,

    • Why does this sound so wrong. Its like our Representatives don’t really know what they are supposed to be doing. When you have a meeting like that you need to be prepared. Where is the First Secretary for Trade and Investment or something like that. Am sure as an expert he would have communicated better than the High Commissioner.

    • He is probably mwaamba’s friend. Don’t be deceived by his being a premier – he is more of a councillor or deputy perm secretary. My point is , this man can come but it nothing to write about.

      Mwaamba is just flexing his muscles. He is another useless who offers little and is in it for himself.

      I detest his kind.

    • He is probably mwaamba’s friend. Don’t be deceived by his being a premier – he is more of a councillor or deputy perm secretary. My point is , this man can come but it nothing to write about.

      Mwaamba is just flexing his muscles. He is another useless who offers little and is in it for himself.

      I detest his kind.

      Thanks

      BB2014

    • Why these reactions am seeing?

      If you are a lady and a Mon comes to to propose marriage to you, don’t complain if you don’t want him.

      The ball is in your hands; if you love him you are free to say yes. And if you don’t want, simply say no.

      He has not married you by virtue of his proposal. It is you to assess, evaluate and make a decision. Don start crying because the person you don’t like has proposed you.

      It is a pity some Zambians always believe they are victims who are always about to be victimized.

      Look, the government will engage these guys and pick those things which t hey want to implement, and leave out or reject those things which are unwanted.

      So, what is this crying about when all you have received is a mere proposal from a man? Who said a proposal is…

  1. Please Mr High commissioner, why should South Africa help Zambia industrialise and in the process kill their own business.Its pathetic when our leaders are seen begging.The premier is looking at him incredulously.

    • South Africa has one of Africa’s biggest unemployment problems with 30 percent unemployed. It would make more sense for them to focus on improving their industries than go help Zambians to start a canning plant

    • SA has been cannibalizing companies around the region. Zambia has not been spared. I have valuated some compnies that ended up being scrapped and territory reserved exclusively for SA companies.

      SA temunobe.

  2. Mwamba Mwamba again every week and his image media team…what type of a civil servant is this…please put a seasoned civil servant in that position not this crook/politican who is positioning himself. Every appointment he is at he wants to put his sticky paws in every deal.

    • And you call yourself a Zambian who knows how to can a fruit but still rely on external products instead of putting up a plant. What a joke of Zambian you are.

  3. Beging for other countries to help industrialise them while back home the looting, stealing and non accountability goes on…

    By the way mawmba , where is the free wifi for lusaka you promised ?

  4. In fact foolishness, vulgarity, inconsistency and irresponsibility seem actually to be Chimbwili Kashimba’s inventions that have been painstakingly copied – once more – by Mwanda. The age of such drab characters as Elias Chipimo, Aka Lewanika etc is over. No more, it appears, must we suffer leaders equipped with a brain and a sense of the common interest. The hour of the political clown has come..

  5. Why these reactions am seeing?

    If you are a lady and a man comes to to propose marriage to you, don’t need to complain.

    The ball is in your hands; if you love him you are free to say yes. And if you don’t want, simply say no.

    He has not married you by virtue of his proposal. It is you to assess, evaluate and make a decision. Don cry because the person you don’t like has proposed you.

    It is a pity some Zambians believe they are alwaysvictims who are always about to be victimized.

    Look, the government will engage these guys and pick those things which t hey want to implement, and leave out or reject those things which are unwanted.

    So, what is this crying about when all you have received is a mere proposal from a man? Who said a proposal is painful?

    • All this negativity is brought on by lungu and the lawless violence he put the country trough during elections coupled with the wanton corruption and mismanagement we can all see.

    • @super, when speeches and empty promises have gone on for 50 plus years a population tends to get cynical. This is why there is so much negativity. Just a few months ago your leadership promised cheap fuel resulting from a Saudi signing and now we have increases and fuel subsidy dununa. No every deal by our politicians is being seen with a pot full of salt!

  6. That is good work being developed down there. How else can the larger economy benefit if proposals for investments are being redicured? As Zambians we need to embrace more with those who have resources to invest in the country. It is an opportunity for people to plug in help the economy. We need more of such initiatives that have potential in creating jobs and modernise the country in terms of manufacturing and other sectors. It is
    an opportunity for anyone to plug in and see how they can make a buck. Those who have an extra eye will surely benefit.

    • Why don’t you Zambians chart your own development agenda. Why don’t you use your people and your institutions to craft blue prints to direct national development in a holistic manner! That way, everybody will be singing from the same book. Your ambassador will know what to say at such meetings instead of sounding empty like this one. You have no coherent programme and you fail to utilize the best people and institutions that you have. You are not serious.

  7. WE DO NOT WANT FOREIGNERS PLEASE. WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH LAND TO GIVE THEM. LET THEM GRAB THE LAND FROM THE BOERS. THIS MWAMBA IS SELLING OUR COUNTRY FOR PERSONAL GAIN

  8. Zambians do not need these people to “help us to develop our capacity to can our tomatoes, our mangoes and other fruits”…. The knowledge to do so is now, more than ever, available to all of us….

  9. The problem here is Mwamba just grandstanding. Most Zambian ambassadors are having numerous of similar meetings and proposals in their respective bases. Really, is this news worth? LT get your priorities right.

  10. Mwamba is a big Joker and needs to be recalled to save Zambia. If Zambians don’t know how to can tomatoes, why can’t he organise an expeditions of Zambians to RSA to go & learn skills to do so or he can ask for copy of syllabus from RSA for Ministry of Education Science and Vocational Training and Early Education to implement in Zambia or Mwaliteta can go & steal it from RSA. Alternatively, he can ask Zambian govt to issue work permits to South Africans with work & managerial can skills to come & work in Zambia to impart knowledge in employees working for companies already canning tomato like Rivonia, Lions Zambia rather than bringing his friends to come & wipe out investment opportunities for Zambians in exchange for casual jobs.

  11. QUOTE “South Africa’s administrative system mandates that provincial authorities are ‘distinctive’ and therefore wield legislative and executive authority of their own”TO ENHANCE DEVELOPMENT IN ZAMBIA WE NEED THIS MODEL FOR OUR TEN PROVINCES.OUR POLITICS ARE OF POVERTY.

  12. – UNILEVER came & bought Colgate Palmolive whilst our Govt was sleeping closed it down & turned the factories into warehouses for finished products made in RSA.

    – SABMiller bought Maheu from Trade Kings & whilst our Govt was sleeping closed down production in order to kill competition of Maheu to coca-cola

    – SABMiller bought Scheweppes along Malambo Rd & whilst our Govt was sleeping closed down production in order to kill competition of Crush to Fanta

    – Shoprite bought ZCBC & whilst our Govt was sleeping converted it into a conduit for selling RSA products

    – Glencore bought ZCCM-Nkana & Mufulira & whilst our Govt is sleeping under-invoice Copper exports & over-value imports in order to avoid paying taxes & claim more vat-rebates from ZRA

    – AEL bought Kafironda Explosives…

    • CONT’D

      – AEL bought Kafironda Explosives near Mufulira & whilst our Govt was sleeping closed down production & turned it into a warehouse (magazine) for fexpolsives made in RSA.

      – There are Plenty examples of how we r been screwd whilst a STYOPET DULL cursed Govt leaders continue to steal from us.

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