THE World Bank has said the launch of Zambia’s new tourism brand name and slogan ‘Let’s Explore’, will increase foreign currency earnings and make the country a preferred tourism destination.

World Bank senior private sector development specialist Marie Sheppard said Zambia’s new brand is a creative innovation that will attract more tourists from across the globe.

Ms Sheppard said the tourism sector will generate more jobs for the locals as more local and foreign tourists sample the unexplored tourism sites.

She described the re-branding initiative as a potential foreign exchange earner, saying many people will visit areas they have never seen before resulting into more viewing of wildlife and waterfalls among other tourist attractions.

The country had been marketed for over 30 years under the brand name and slogan ‘Zambia the Real Africa’, which has since been replaced with ‘Let’s Explore Zambia’ as of last week.

“The re-branding of ‘Zambia the Real Africa’ into ‘Let’s Explore Zambia’ is timely because even before the brand was launched, over 10,000 people across the world participated in the initiative during the pre-launch period,” she said.

She said the World Bank was one of the partners the Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) engaged in coming up with a new brand for the sector.

She said the sector will flourish under a new brand name but urged Government to ease the cost of doing business, which is still high for most tourism operators.

Ms Sheppard said doing business in the country is still high considering the poor state of the road network and lack of air transport to tourism attraction areas.

She said frequent changing of policies such as taxes, visas and levies in the sector are making it difficult for the tourism operators to price their products favourably.

“The poor state of Zambia’s roads in most tourist attraction areas is negatively affecting tourism operators who are currently struggling to price their products so that they can attract more local and foreign tourists,” she said.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Supporters of the Opposition Patriotic Front (PF) yesterday harassed a MUVI Television crew which was assigned to cover the party’s general Conference in Kabwe.

Inutu Mwanza and Bruce Mwale were verbally harassed by convicted PF leader, Michael Sata’s body guard, Judge Ngoma in the presence of Post newspapers journalist, George Chellah while covering the proceedings of the conference.

Ngoma, who was last year convicted on two counts of assault in the Lusaka Magistrate’s court further issued death threats to defenceless, Inutu Mwanza.

The Crew was accused of filming for freelance journalist, Chanda Chimba III’s controversial programme “Stand Up for Zambia”.

The duo confirmed the development in Lusaka.

And Muvi Television Management described the action by the cadres as unfortunate. Company Director for Human resource and Administration, Alfred Tembo has since demanded an apology from the opposition party with immediate effect.

A visibly annoyed, Mr Tembo added that journalists should be allowed to operate in an environment which is free from political interference and intolerance.

But the Patriotic Front(PF) has Unreservedly apologized to MUVI Television for the incident. Secretary-General, Wynter Kabimba issued the apology in Lusaka.

[MUVITV]

Patriotic Front Kabwata Member of Parliament Given Lubinda has called on Zambians to be steadfast in the quest to remove the MMD from power.

Mr. Lubinda says it is clear that the MMD government has completely failed the Zambians.

He cited the failure by the local authorities to deliver necessary services to the people as an example that the MMD has failed.

He added that the continued blame by the ruling party on the Patriotic Front run-councils is an indication of failure on the part of the MMD.

Mr. Lubinda says Zambians should wake up and turnout in numbers on the day of elections to remove the failed administration of the MMD from power.

He says the failed developmental policies of the MMD have resulted in the ruling party hoodwinking Zambians with last minute promises of development such as the installation solar geysers.
[ QFM ]

Hope for Human Rights has advised managements at the Zambia Daily Mail, Times of Zambia and ZNBC to take the barring of their Editorial staff at the just-ended PF conference as a wake-up call.

Organization’s executive director smart Chanda said that the PF cannot be blamed for having barred that reporters from the public media because they have in most cases been used to scandalize the PF leader Michael Sata.

He said that what the public media needs to do is to ensure that it upholds high professional standards by giving equal coverage to people with divergent Views saying this will help in restoring public confidence.

And Foundation for democratic process has observed the need for the media bodies such has Media institute for Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia, and the Press Association of Zambia (PAZA) to mediate for reconciliation between the media and political parties in the country.

FODEP executive Director McDonald Chipenzi says that the journalists are committed to their job and that they have nothing to do with the biased editorial content that is published.

Mr. Chipenzi has since called for harmony between the political parties and the media in the country especially at a time when the country is heading to the polls.
[ QFM ]

HANGOVER 2

Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis) and Doug (Justin Bartha) are back. This time they travel to Thailand for Stu’s wedding. After what happened in Vegas, they are playing it safe, this time and are planning simple pre-wedding brunch. But things don’t go as planned.

This film is darker , but is almost a scene for scene remake of the first.

PRO’S

• There were some very funny moments in the film.

• There were very few original funny situations, the majority were simply copied from the first movie and pasted here.
• Some scenes in the movie were unnecessarily crude, instead of being funny, they were just disgusting.
• The producers of this movie had no original ideas; even the music was the same as the first movie.
• No meaningful additions were made to the cast, just the same characters ….and mike Tyson …really ? it was nice when he was in the first one , as it was so unexpected . But in this one, it’s a case of been there done that.
• The ending of the movie was exactly the same as the first one.

CONCLUSION

If you have watched the first Hangover, there is no real reason to watch this one, as it is basically a carbon copy. It does have some hilarious moments, though they are few are far between. It is a movie to watch, have a few laughs, then forget about it, unlike its predecessor which I have personally watched over 10 times.

FAVORITE QUOTES

Stu: Oh my god. Alan, your head!

Alan: No, your head.

Mr. Chow: Did you die?

Phil: No, but i was shot.

Mr. Chow: But did you die?

RATING

1 out of 5

BY KAPA187

The three day Patriotic Front (PF) general conference has closed with the endorsement of 43 central committee members.

The 43 had applied for various posts in the central committee in line with the party constitution.

Bruce Mwale reports from Mulungushi University that the PF conference delegates did not oppose the list of applicants therefore its endorsement.

Party Vice President, Guy Scott has since been re-appointed while Wynter Kabimba has been retained as Secretary General.

Party President, Michael Sata went through unopposed and Inonge Wina retained her position as National Chairperson.

Meanwhile, seven central committee positions have remained vacant however appointments will be made later.
[ MUVI ]

FORMER President Kenneth Kaunda did not attend the Patriotic Front (PF) conference to endorse any candidate, his office has said.

This is contrary to PF president Michael Sata’s statement on Hot FM Radio that Dr Kaunda has publicly associated himself with the opposition party.

Dr Kaunda’s special assistant for press and public relations Sunday Musonda said in an interview yesterday that the former President did not go to the conference to support or endorse anyone.

He said Dr Kaunda did not even address the delegates and that no-one can say he went to Mulungushi Rock of Authority, the venue for the convention, with any agenda.

“If there are any people who would want others to believe that Dr Kaunda’s presence at the convention was to endorse anyone, I would like to state that the former President went to the PF convention by invitation and as a father of the nation,” Mr Musonda said.

He said Dr Kaunda also attended the MMD convention and would attend any political party function on invitation.

Some diplomats also attended the PF conference and were also present at the MMD convention on invitation.

Mr Sata told Hot FM Radio in an interview monitored in Lusaka yesterday that he was grateful to Dr Kaunda for attending the conference.

“We are grateful to the founding father of the nation and we feel proud that we were able to attract a man like Dr Kaunda.

It is the first time in 10 years that he has publicly associated himself with PF,” Mr Sata claimed.

The PF conference, which opened on Monday, was expected to close yesterday.

Mr Sata went through unopposed for the position of party president and will be the PF candidate in the 2011 tripartite elections.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha says it is cowardice for all former ministers to defy the code of Secret Act ( COSA ) to begin to reveal State secrets when they live d from office.

Lieutenant General says the COSA is very clear for cabinet and deputy ministers appointed by the President not to reveal any secret once they leave the office.

Lt-Gen Shikapwasha described the affected ex-cabinet ministers as pretenders who lack integrity to hold public offices.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Lt-Gen Shikapwasha described former Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti, former outspoken Defense Minister George Mpombo and Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister Jonas Shakafuswa as cowards to abrogate the COSA act.

“The Code of Secret Act is very clear on how long a person appointed by the President can hold information before releasing it. But for ex-ministers the likes of Mulongoti, Mpombo and Shakafuswa are cowards who do not have integrity,” Lt-Gen Shikapwasha said.

Lt-Gen Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, said the act of abrogating the COSA is evil for anyone to go against but opted to be heroes just because they were fired by the head of State.

Since being relieved of their duties Mr Mpombo, Mr Shakafuwa,and Mr Mulongoti has made incessant attacks on President Banda and the MMD government as a way of expressing their anger at losing their ministerial duties.

The trio have publicly vowed to undermine President Rupiah Banda’s administration and have since vowed to be against the Government of the day.

Meanwhile, Lt-Gen Shikapwasha says President Rupiah Banda will announce and set the election date at an appropriate time.

Lt-Gen Shikapwasha said this is because the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has not yet come up with its final voters register for the President to announce the elections date.

He said it is not right for people like PF leader Micheal to ‘push’ President Banda to set the election date when things are hanging.

Patriotic Front (PF) President, Michael Sata was reported in the media to have said this year’s general elections will be held on 27th August.

Lt. Gen. Shikapwasha advised the opposition leaders and the civil society to be patient as everything was being addressed by Government.

“President Banda is true democrat who has feelings of the people at heart. The law allows him to put things in order before he can announce and set the election date. Those pressurizing him are just politicking and President Banda cannot dance to their tune,” he said.

Lt-Gen Shikapwasha reminded Zambians against voting for the opposition because the economic gains the nation has scored risked being reversed instead of moving forward.

[ ZANIS ]