President Rupiah Banda has left the country for South Africa to attend the inauguration ceremony of that country’s President-elect, Jacob Zuma tomorrow.
President Banda is accompanied by First Lady, Thandiwe Banda and Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande.
He was seen off at the Lusaka International Airport by Vice President George Kunda, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, Ronnie Shikapwasha, Minister of Lands, Peter Daka, Presidential Affairs Minister, Ronald Mukuma, and other senior government officials.
President Banda was invited by the South African government to be among several other African Heads of State and Government at the inauguration ceremony of Mr. Zuma, which will be held in Pretoria tomorrow.
The President is expected to return home on Sunday.
Mr. Zuma was officially elected as South African President on Wednesday by that country’s Members of Parliament.
Security measures have been tightened in Pretoria, South Africa, ahead of the inauguration of that country’s President-elect, Jacob Zuma, tomorrow.
There is a heavy presence of security personnel in all streets around Union Building and hotels to be occupied by dignatories from various parts of the world.
Streets in many parts of the political capital, Pretoria, will be closed while the grand occasion is underway and people wishing to attend the inaugurations would be taken to the Union Buildings by special shuttle bus services.
From about 01 am tomorrow, dozens of roads around the union buildings will be closed to traffic and motorists are being advised to take the necessary detours.
According to information released by the local security, 865 metro police officers will report for duty on the inauguration day to be complemented by a further 360 peace development projects(PDP) officers.
At least 92 countries, including Zambia, will be represented at Mr Zuma’s inauguration.
And the stage is set for tomorrow’s inauguration of the South African President elect, Jacob Zuma.
The atmosphere in Pretoria has been characterized by sounds of heavy guns as the military police rehearse the 21-gun salute which reverated over the southern lawns of the union buildings.
Millitary helicopters and Astra aircraft were seen yesterday fine tuning the fly past which will colour the skies immediately after the President elect takes the oath of office and the 21-gun salute.
Workers are also making final touches on a series of special marquees erected for a special luncheon after the inauguration ceremony.
The inauguration ceremony is expected to start at 11 00hrs and end around around 1300hrs.
A strong message has been sent to journalists to be at the union buildings not later that 5 am tomorrow.
ZANIS
Eyahh does he spend nites home
There goes the travelling man again. Anyway, this time it’s a necessity, isn’t it?
Kamwendo munjilra RB! Lets hope Al-Bashir will attend so tha Zuma can deport him to the hague,That man is evil.
As expected… afterall Jacob Zuma was here recently for the Ncwala ceremony…
let the man travel as he publicly said he can now afford a holiday…..kapena ni first time pa Pretoria nizee sana.
Will see you when you get here mr President sir
RB – The tourist
the man is on a mission to tour most of the countries before his tym ends…
Spending three days in SA for a mere inauguration? This is mind boggling!
Pass our greetings to Zuma and tell him Aids is real and taking a shower after the act is no prevention.
HAHAHAHA!!!! #10 NICE ONE.
Kwena muli bapakwenda. how much do u get per month?
How many presidents attended his inauguration?
I find nothing wrong in RB attending the inauguration of Zuma
Indeed undertaker #14 I agree with you my brother/sir. Sometimes as zedians we tend to wholesomely condemn even serious issues. No country lives in an island and issues of regional economic, democratic, political and unity are achievable through such functions. Yes, not all trips are necessary and deserve criticism but certainly in my opinion not this one. Let us not be too negative about everything as Zedians.
in “isolation”
only 1 president attended RB’s fimo fimo, Ba Mugabe. and that was 2 hrs after being announced as presido!!!!
Now don’t forget that Shikapwasha said the presidents trips are for national development……More and more national development coming to Zambia.
I can’t wait to see amake Temwani in those outdated chitenge outfits of hers lol.
# 19 LMFAO……..ATI OUTDATED.
#15. I strongly support your line of arguement. Sometimz we want to criticize RB just for the sake of critism
Kulibe vokamba kamba apa – ofcourse he has to go the inauguration of Zuma. Surely that is obvious?
#19(Hola),As one blogger put it”Tamwakamukwanishe TB”.Continue burning with envy.You losers
Failure starts from the mind, then it manifests in worrds blogged and these threads here are full of failures.Criticism must be positive and considerate that if i were to be in RB’s position would i be snabbing international roles?Even the USA gripped from the fear of being left behind, came out of Trumans’ policy of isolationism and fear of the outside. As a Chief state actor, RB deserve to be open to partners and the world other than just staying in statehouse.Even domestic politics if the leader is static and not connecting through physically country tours, he risks apathy to his ballot.This is why you see our opposition are taken as circus clubs by voters.They’re stack with tabloids but disconnected with voters untill 2 months before national election cast when the go carnivas 4…
A K 40-rubbish.It would freak me out to come out of the house dressed like Tandiwe.You know how us lawyers dress to impress.Secondly I can never dream of being RB’s missus.My sight is too good…
Treaties, conventions and charters can only be initiated, negotiated and signed by the the country’s Chief Executive who in our case is RB. You do not expect Ministers, PS or Envoys to do what only the President can do.Start showing maturity as change towards emerging leadership. You risk being life time bloggers with nothing to your name while fellow bloggers who mature over time retires from the blogs, takes up leadership and serves the mother land.
By the way,who will be the official SA first lady?I hear the guy has 4…
Kulibonesha tu.
Hola don’t you think that is vain and bitter? Different strokes 4 different folks. Ofcourse u will nt admit u fancy the old gizzer(RB) bt we both know u do.
Thandiwe has a big problem. She is married to a 72 year old man and if she dresses like a 19 yea old, the man won’t like it as he wil feel inadequate. So the idea is to play to the rules until justice does her a favour. Inherit a lot of money and then align herself with someone of her age group for real happiness. That is life and i know a lot Zimbabwe women know this game very well. You can’t have a cake and eat it at the same otherwise you lose everything. Play the game until the time is right and I think she has been properly advised by all her relatives.
RB, I support your attending of Zuma’s inauguration
#25 I wonder what kind of a lawyer you are who borders on petty issues and incapable of sensible contribution to the blog.You are even bragging on the blog.Humility is an important virtue and if we had an opportunity to see how some of you look I bet Esther Phiri will standout,anyway,many thanks to the blog..
A K 47 I specialise in Intellectual Property (patents/rights/copyright etc).I would suggest you read some legal judgements to see the humour in it especially criminal law.What you might term as petty as a layperson might lead me to the ratio decindendi.
#29 Poppie Downs of course we all have different tastes…but fancying the old g…oh no.
do we have to comment on everything? anyway, bon voyage rb…. and continue to make those important international linkages for mother zambia. we are too poverty stricken and too daft to see the importance of those trips… we can only think in terms of our next plate of nshima ….can’t see beyond our noses as the english would say..
OK Mr. President this movement is necessary but 3 days just for the inauguration.Am sure other guests (presidents) will fly back immediately after the ceremony.We need you home more often to solve the many problems we are facing.
Yeah! this trip might be somewhat important but the flight from Zed to SA is 2hours and 45 minutes…meaning RB could have actually flown in the same day and flown right back home…but what about shopping and stuff like that??…hello! I know he is not the guest of honor, continue having fun RB.
y these pipo always looking down
Imwe thandiwe musiyeni chabe. Is she a school teacher or what, na peticot ilelengela?
At least balasambiliko how presidents get inaufimo-fimo. Tefyamukampampa iyo
Nothing wrong in this. Remember people we need SA more than it needs us. Akaso! Mukafwa kukaso mwebantu. Kano nga ni political immature or kwacha billionaire HH (as Free Fimo Fimo put it yesterday). Grow up people. The president has to attend.
Banda is now Marcopolo, even for events where he can delegate, ni sangwapo. With his mistaken impression that he is Zulu, he could not afford to miss the Zulu rapist’s inauguration.
does he need to spend 3 days in S/A when he cud have left early today and later retain home.this’s what happened on his inauguration but beve kukonda ma allowances,always on the move.anyway it’s kunda running the nation.
The Veep is now very used and happy as acting President knowing very well that there is a chance his boss might not come back ‘the same’. His chances of getting the job of his boss are very high considering the age of his boss and the constant trips.
RB’s desk must be empty for him to go out three long days….
Just seeing Zuma’s inauguration on BBC! It ‘s raelly spectacular;
attending JZ innauguration nikwamene, but it should have been a Go-Come trip. Senior citoyen, stop misleading young bloggers.
Spectacular indeed…………
Anybody with info about a meeting of Zambians resident in SA at the Embassy (Zambia House) with RB?
#27 trust me the bro is as illusive as the AIDS virus would not be suprise if he got am additional lady 4 this occasion.
Globe-trotting Toadface. Stay home for once, see the progress obtaining there. Why are you always away from office? This time don’t stay away till 25th May celebrations.
#26 Senior Citizen, i agree with your observations. Sometimes i wonder whether LT should not create separate blogs for different levels of thinking.
RB was looks down on Sata for not having education but he respects a rapist who was facing criminal charges in court. On top of this Sata even seems to have more education than Zuma. How ironical! It will be interesting to see whther RB will continue dissing Mr Sata for not being educated and yet the South Africans decided to have a man of humble education for their president. South Africa is much more developed than Zambia but the South Africans did not see anything wrong with having Zuma for president. What does this say about Zambians?
TB looked really good, i was impresed, i hope LT will put up some pictures.
#37 They couldnt do go-come due to security reasons and after the ceremony, all VVIP’s were having lunch with the new presido.
wo is bank rollling all these trips?
When the elections are won fairly, it take a week or about five day for the president to be inagurated. Zambian elections its hours to inagurate the president even if it is in the night, are we ashamed?
I BELIEVE AND TRUST MMD WILL LEARN A LOT FROM SOUTH AFRICA. ZUMA WON THE ELECTIONS TWO WEEKS AGO AND THE INAUGURATION TOOK PLACE ON SATURDAY. IFWE MU ZAMBIA BA MMD NIBAKABWALALA. HOW CAN THE INAUGURATION TAKE PLACE BEFORE EVERYTHING COULD FINISH. ZAMBIA HOYE WE ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. HOPE OUR PRESIDENT WILL GO AND TELL HIS FRIENDS WHAT HE SAW ON SATURDAY. ON HIS INAUGURATION VERY PEOPLE WHERE THERE. IT WAS JUST LIKE A CHILD’S BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH A JUMPING CASTLE.