President Rupiah Banda has arrived back in the country from Malawi where he went to witness the official launch of the Nsanje World Inland Port on Shire River.
The President arrived this evening at Lusaka international Airport at 18:25 hrs aboard the Presidential Challenger.
He was welcomed by Home Affairs Minister Mkhondo Lungu, Science and Technology Minister Peter Daka, Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, Service Chiefs and other senior government officials.
The Nsanje World Inland Water Port is part of the US$ 6 billion Shire/Zambezi waterway project and opens the Shire waterway from Malawi’s inland port of Nsanje to the Indian Ocean port of Mozambique, a distance of 238km.
[pullquote] He charged that there were a lot of political critics in many African countries, including Zambia, who were bent on only opposing whatever good policies presidents were fostering with a view of derailing economic development and winning cheap politics.[/pullquote]
The new port is expected to reduce costs of goods and services for landlocked countries like Zambia and Zimbabwe by at least 60 percent, according to Nsanje District Commissioner, Rodney Simwaka.
Earlier, President Rupiah Banda said African leaders must be stubborn if they are to develop their countries and improve living standards of their people.
President Banda said time was gone when African leaders were wasting time listening to critics and doing what they wish at the expense of economic development and welfare of the citizenry.
Mr Banda said this in Nsanje district of Malawi before witnessing the official launch of the Nsanje World Inland Port by Malawian President, Ngwazi Professor Bingu wa Mutharika this afternoon.
He charged that there were a lot of political critics in many African countries, including Zambia, who were bent on only opposing whatever good policies presidents were fostering with a view of derailing economic development and winning cheap politics.
He said the best way to foster development was to pay a deaf ear to such people and focus boldly on policies that would benefit the country and its people.
The President thanked Prof Wa Mutharika for taking a bold decision to construct a multi-billion dollar port which he said was going to benefit Zambia in particular and the central and southern African region at large.
And Malawian President, Prof Bingu Wa Mutharika thanked SADC leaders and other cooperating partners for what he called the dream-come-true about on the Nsanje World Inland Port.
Prof Wa Mutharika said the opening of the port was phase one of the project, saying the next stage was to create a dry port, rehabilitate the railway line which connects Zambia through the Chipata/Mchinji railway line, open an international airport and create investment opportunities for banks, hotels and other facilities.
The Malawian President revealed that his other dream was to see a fast train running from Blantyre to Bulawayo via Zambia to enhance speedy movement of goods and passengers among the central African countries.
He noted that time had come for African countries to be economically independent rather than sticking to post colonial mentality of begging for help from donors even when they could stand on their own.
Speaking at the same function, Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe advised African countries to be wary of foreign investors who come with ill-intentions in the name of donors.
Mr Mugabe observed that most so-called investors infiltrate Africa to destroy local economies and oppress indigenous people rather than helping them.
He urged African leaders to seriously scrutinize every investor entering their countries, saying others are not needed.
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