Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema is in the United States of America to speak about the current state of affairs in Zambia.

Mr Hichilema is in Washington D.C at the invitation of the Woodrow Wilson Center.

On Thursday, Mr Hichilema addressed audience in a presentation titled the “State of Play in Zambia.”

Mr Hichilema says he will also use this opportunity of being in the USA to meet other stakeholders who have an interest in Zambia.

“I look forward to addressing ways to attain meaningful economic development, job creation and democracy at the Woodrow Wilson Center in my presentation dubbed “State of Play in Zambia.”

He said the US is at the centre of global finance and that he is honoured with the opportunity to engage with a number of investors and fund managers, looking into Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr Hichilema said the opposition party must promote Zambia’s investment potential.

“We will share our views on how Zambia can attain meaningful economic development that will create jobs for our people, the state of human rights and the rule of law in Zambia, as well as our vision and mission as UPND in our presentation on Thursday 17th October 2019.”

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States of America.

The Woodrow Wilson Center was chartered by Congress in 1968 as the official memorial to late President Wilson.

It is the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum for tackling global issues through independent research and open dialogue to inform actionable ideas for the policy community.

President Edgar Lungu has expressed concern that the already existing Saudi Arabia goat market has not yet been well utilised.

President Lungu says so much has been said about the Saudi market but nothing is being done to take advantage of the opportunity.

He says it is high time the country started seeing results on the goat project rather than merely talking about a readily available market.

The Head of State has since urged the newly appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Benson Mwenya, to ensure that the export of goats to Saudi Arabia is actualised without fail.

He stated that there is an urgent need for the country to move the project forward, adding that government has facilitated the opening of both goat and fish breeding centres in almost all provinces, to help with the actualisation of the projects.

President Lungu has also urged Dr Mwenya to plan with strategic focus in order to accelerate the increase of fish and Livestock population for the country to improve food security and stir economic growth.

The Head of State has further directed the Permanent Secretary for Livestock and Fisheries to put in place an aggressive programme which will promote fish farming in the country and also address fish deficit.

And President Lungu has urged the newly appointed Accountant General, Kennedy Musonda to ensure prudence in the management of government resources.

The President noted that he is confident that with his vast knowledge and experience, Mr Musonda will be able to execute his duties to the people’s expectations.

President Lungu made these remarks during the swearing – in Ceremony of the two newly appointees at State House in Lusaka today.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Permanent Secretary, Benson Mwenya, says the ministry is already putting up measures to actualise the goat project.

Dr Mwenya told journalists in an interview that the ministry will start by exporting carcasses and that three abattoirs have already been identified.

He said the only thing that is remaining is to contact the buyers in Saudi Arabia to and connect them with the abattoirs.

Dr. Mwenya indicated that the Ministry is also up to the task of increasing on fish fingerings across the country to reduce the fish deficit.

And Accountant General, Kennedy Musonda, noted that financial management in public service is very important and will be his main area of focus.

Mr. Musonda said he is equal to the task and will work to ensure that all financial resources are well accounted for.

The Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) has challenged United Party for National Development (UPND) to publicly denounce the gay rights agenda being implemented by the Africa Liberal Network (ALN) in African countries.

At a media briefing yesterday morning at Mika Lodge, YALI President Andrew Ntewewe maintained the UPND is a member of the ALN which promotes homosexuality in Africa as part of its liberal values.

“Instead of silencing people from asking questions with a possible legal action or otherwise, the UPND leaders must simply come out to state the party would never allow the ALN agenda of homosexuality to be implemented in Zambia, and that Zambia, under them, shall have a non-tolerance for homosexuality as it is against moral, cultural and Christian values,” said Mr. Ntewewe

Mr. Ntewewe said the current discourse in which citizens are examining the voluntary association by the UPND to the Africa Liberal Network, an association which promotes homosexuality, goes to the root question of what morals political leaders in Zambia are prepared to defend, the country’s cultural values, and the sincerity of leaders in professing Christianity and yet having no problem to associate and collectively champion homosexuality in countries across the continent.

“The information in public domain strongly point to the fact that the Africa Liberal Network, to which UPND and 46 other parties are members, promotes homosexuality across the African Continent as one of its key agenda,” he stated.

According to the ALN website, the UPND and the 46 other ALN member-parties are bound by the ALN Constitution which states that they exist to ‘ensure….minority rights are recognised in the countries where they would form governments,’ among other reasons. In its true context, “minority rights” is a veiled reference to gay rights or sexuality, in other words, the recognition and practice of any sexual orientation.

Mr. Ntewewe has extensively quoted from the cases in Botswana and Nigeria where the Africa Liberal Network stated that they are together working with our sister parties at the African Liberal Network to speak against the criminalisation of those liberal values of homosexuality and fight against laws that criminalise homosexuality.

Mr. Ntewewe said the then President of the Africa Liberal Network, Olivier Kamitatu Etsu, in condemning the bill in Nigeria that banned same-sex marriages, stated that such a Bill stood in direct opposition to the ALN’s Liberal Manifesto for Africa, adopted in Abidjan in 2012.

“The message is clear: promotion of homosexuality, under the veil of minority rights, is one of the core agenda constituting the ALN’s Liberal Manifesto for Africa. Our question then is, why is there denial among the UPND leaders on their membership to the Africa Liberal Network whose agenda is to promote homosexuality? Zambians may wish to also know that UPND, a full member of the ALN, is part of this Network that set out they call, ‘ALN Human Rights Framework’, which is based on among others, the ALN Liberal Manifesto for Africa,” he said

Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema says he does not hold any grudges against Apostle Sunday Sinyangwe of Shalom Ministries who declared that the UPND leader will never enter State House until he repents.

Mr Hichilema has also urged his supporters to forgive Apostle Sinyangwe and pray for him.

“We would like to state that we hold no grudge against him and in fact we have forgiven him from the bottom of our heart. We have no authority on earth to exact revenge. That is the preserve of our God the almighty,” he said.

“We would like to appeal to the Nation to accept the apology from our brother Apostle Sunday Sinyangwe and pray for him.”

Mr Hichilema said Zambia has a lot of challenges that need addressing.

“The country is currently faced with many challenges and we would want to preoccupy ourselves with offering hope and solutions to our people than engaging ourselves in debates of destiny which we have no control over. We leave matters of our destiny in the hands of the Almighty, God.”