Malawian President Bingu Wa Mutharika arrived in the country yesterday for a three-day official visit.He was received on arrival at the airport by Republican President Rupiah Banda, several ministers, senior government and defence officials and Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) party cadres.
The Malawian President was treated to a 21- gun salute by the Zambia Army and a guard of honour.

President Wa Mutharika is in the country to officially open the 84th Agriculture and Commercial show today.[pullquote]Meanwhile President Rupiah Banda has said Zambia’s bumper maize harvest will guarantee food security for the citizens and more income for small scale farmers.
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Meanwhile President Rupiah Banda has said Zambia’s bumper maize harvest will guarantee food security for the citizens and more income for small scale farmers.

Mr Banda said in Lusaka yesterday the country was focusing on investing in agriculture and the abundant maize produced this year would help strengthen the country’s food security.

He said the subject of food security had captured the attention of the international community in the past few years because more than one million people were going hungry every year, according to Food and Agriculture Organisation statistics.

The president said this at Hotel Inter-Continental in Lusaka during a State Banquet held in honour of the visiting leader of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika.

Former Zambian presidents Kenneth Kaunda and Frederick Chiluba, Chief Justice Ernest Sakala, Cabinet and deputy ministers from Malawi and Zambia, diplomats accredited to Zambia, and Government officials were among those who attended the banquet.

Mr Banda said year’s Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show was happening in special circumstances as the country and the peasant farming community were reaping another bumper harvest of the staple crop.

He said Zambians should feel that their efforts in increasing food production would in the long run begin to have a major impact on fighting poverty and hunger, and that small-holder farmers would be food-secure, apart from increasing their incomes.

Mr Banda said Zambia was taking a leaf from the Malawi’s success in agricultural development.

He hailed the cordial relations between Zambia and Malawi and the growing fruitful cooperation between the two countries.

Mr Banda said historically, the friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries had been solid because their relationship was founded on a common cultural and ethnic heritage which brought the citizens of the two countries together.

Zambia valued Professor Wa Mutharika’s acceptance to officiate at the 84th Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show in Lusaka, whose theme is ‘Sustainable Development’.

He described the show as an important annual event that provided a platform to showcase Zambia’s products and afforded an equal opportunity to foreign participating firms to promote their products on the Zambian market.

Mr Banda said he was pleased to note that a good number of Malawian companies were participating in this year’s show.

He said the attendance of some Malawian enterprises would foster trade relations between the two countries, which had been low despite the existing warm political ties.

He also commended Prof Wa Mutharika for showing commitment and exemplary leadership in steering the African Union (AU)’s vision as the current chairperson.

President Banda is today scheduled to hold official talks with his counterpart at State House.

The two leaders are expected to tour selected stands tomorrow morning before Prof Wa Mutharika officially opens the show in the afternoon.

Mr Ililonga said in Luena yesterday that he stood the biggest chance of winning the August 5 by-election because people were determined to end poverty in the area.

He said the UPND was the only party giving hope to people at the moment because of the progressive ideas the party had.

Currently, the campaigns were going on well and peaceful and people had assured him of their vote.

Mr Ililonga said he was popular in Luena and had a lot of investments that made him close to the people than anyone else.

“UPND is the party of the moment, I am confident that we shall carry the day come polling day,” he said.

Mr Ililonga said although four other candidates were vying for the seat, he only considered a strong challenge from the MMD candidate Mwangala Maopu and former Luena MP Charles Milupi from the Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD).
[ Times of Zambia ]

Visiting Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Rhumba musician Felix Wazekwa has observed that the Zambian music industry has the potential to grow and penetrate the international market.

Wazekwa said this was because a lot of Zambian musicians are highly talented and creative in the way they write their music.Speaking at a press briefing through an interpreter at Lusaka’s Pamodzi Hotel today, Wazekwa said the only thing that the Zambian musicians lack was exposure to other countries.

The 48- year- old musician added that exposure was very important for Zambian musicians, if they were to compete favorably on the international scene.Wazekwa said proper exposure was what made DRC musicians to be known and compete on the international with other musicians from different countries.

Wazekwa is in the country for five days to perform various shows across Lusaka.

President Rupiah Banda says Government is focused on alleviating poverty and bringing prosperity for the benefit of all Zambians.The President said this when he addressed a large gathering during a rally held at Ushaa Basic School to drum up support for the MMD’s candidate in the Luena parliamentary by elections, Mwangala Maopu scheduled for 5th August, 2010.

President Banda told the people of Ushaa that by voting for Mr. Maopu, the people of the area and Luena as a whole would reap a lot of benefits as they would have a representative working with the majority members of Parliament who have influence in allocating natural resources.The President urged the people of Ushaa not to give Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) candidate Charles Milupi a second chance as Member of Parliament because he failed to implement any major developmental projects for the benefit of the citizens in Luena.

Mr. Maopu is a former teacher who is said to have worked so well with the local people.Other contestants running for the Luena seat have been floated by the United Liberal Party, United National Independence Party (UNIP), United Party for National Development (UPND) and ADD.

The Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) has called on political players in the Chifubu, and Luena parliamentary by-elections to promote violence free campaigns.

ZCID Spokesperson, Njekwa Anamela said the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Zambia Police, and other security agencies together with other political players should ensure that they all do their part in calling for clean campaigns.

Mr Anamela told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that all stakeholders must ensure that they promote peace in the run up to the two by-elections adding that political parties should also abide by the electoral code of conduct.

“We urge the stakeholders in the electoral processes, political parties, ECZ, police and all security agencies to ensure that they promote violence free campaigns. We also call on our members, the political parties to go about their campaigns in peaceful manner and follow the electoral code of conduct” he said.

He has meanwhile described as peaceful the on-going campaigns in Chifubu and Luena.
[pullquote]“We urge the stakeholders in the electoral processes, political parties, ECZ, police and all security agencies to ensure that they promote violence free campaigns. We also call on our members, the political parties to go about their campaigns in peaceful manner and follow the electoral code of conduct” he said.[/pullquote]

He stressed that political parties should stick to their promise to condemn violence during campaigns which they pledged during the meeting with ECZ prior to the announcement of the by-elections date.

Mr. Anamela has meanwhile described as robust the current political situation in the country.

He said political parties have gone into full force in their campaigns and consolidating their parties ahead of the 2011 general elections.

He also challenged political parties to sensitise their supporters on the need to register as voters in the on-going voter registering exercise.

Mr Anamela said parties should encourage all their supporters and the public especially first time voters to register for next year’s elections.

[ ZANIS ]

By Henry Kyambalesa
The recent castigation of critics of mobile hospitals by President Rupiah Banda that the issue is none of their business should be openly condemned by all citizens who care about the future of our beloved country.I surely thought President Banda’s decision to purchase mobile hospitals from the China National Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation was shelved after it generated so much controversy in the country! It has now become clear that President Banda is not only stubborn and arrogant; he also lacks good judgment. For how can a leader who has good judgment completely ignore the voices of so many citizens who are against the purchase of the US$53 million mobile hospitals through a loan from EX-IM Bank of China?[pullquote]“In a sense, we’re talking about … sending smart white boys in to tell them how to run their countries.”[/pullquote]

It is irresponsible, wasteful and unwise for President Banda to buy mobile hospitals which are likely to last only a few years, given the poor state of roads in rural areas. Also, there are a lot of rural communities today where there are no motorable roads. Moreover, it is hard to imagine how the mobile clinics will be used – would they be driven around in rural communities on a regular basis in the hope of finding a sick person?

Further, it will be very difficult to control the potential abuse of the mobile facilities and their contents. Besides, the recurrent costs of maintaining the mobile hospitals will be prohibitive after spending the following amounts (extracted from The Post Online article of April 27, 2009 entitled “Donors Question Government’s $53 Million Deal”) which are required to seal the two-year contract:

US$

36,260,356 Cost of the 9 Mobile Clinics

3,300,000 Spare Parts for 2 Years

6,000,000 Medicines and Medical Appliances

5,144,650 Chinese Engineers and Medical Staff

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50,705,006 (+ tax)

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As any genuine development economist would advise, loans, if there is really a pressing need to obtain them, should ideally be used to support the production and/or exportation of trade-able goods. However, the US$53 million loan would still have made sense if it was secured to cater for the following:

(a) Provision of free healthcare for all Zambians;

(b) Construction of more permanent healthcare facilities nationwide;

(c) Provision of adequate medicines, medical equipment and ambulances;

(d) Financing of research designed to find cures for HIV/AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, and other deadly diseases; and

(e) Hiring, retention and training of health personnel.

The mobile hospitals are, at best, a luxury Zambia cannot afford. No doubt, the procurement of such temporary facilities is going to be the most conspicuous case of misapplication of resources by a Republican president thus far. It is a clear case of misplaced priorities! Sooner or later, the President and/or members of his inner circle will be crossing national borders for medical treatment or check-ups after wasting the US$53 million!

And they want to rule Zambia beyond 2011 up to 2030 whether we like it or not—arrogant, stubborn, belligerent, and condescending as they are! That will surely be a testimony to the statement attributed to Dr. Frederick Chiluba by the late Dean Mung’omba that Zambians are docile!

The gross mismanagement of resources, among other forms of incompetence by the MMD government, reminds me of the following words of an anonymous official in an unnamed donor country quoted by L. Timberlake in his 1986 book: “In a sense, we’re talking about … sending smart white boys in to tell them how to run their countries.”

President Banda wants to continue to mortgage our country and the future of our children and grandchildren through such loans. He does not seem to see anything wrong with our country’s over-dependence on loans and donor funding to provide for public services and facilities.

He needs to trim the highly bloated government going through public expenditures line by line, program by program, agency by agency, department by department, and ministry by ministry in order to eliminate unnecessary application of public funds. There is a need for the government to perform existing and planned government functions with a smaller number of Cabinet Ministers, and to abolish the positions of Deputy Minister and District Commissioner.

Also, there is a need for him to reduce the number of Zambia’s foreign missions by having clusters of countries to be served by single embassies, and to initiate restrictions on leaders’ trips to foreign countries and the sizes of delegations on such trips.

The US$53 million deal has all the characteristics of an attempt by President Banda to use the mobile clinics as a campaign tool for the 2011 general elections, designed to woo voters in rural areas. He could win the Republican presidency, but he won’t be there to make a contribution to the re-payment of the loan!

And how does one explain the prominence of single-source procurement by the President during the short period he has been in office, if it is not to reap personal or political benefits from the deals involved? What is the use of having a procurement authority and technocrats in government ministries whose function is merely the acquisition of machinery, equipment and services that are prescribed by ministers or State House?

There is a need for Chinese government officials to guard against encouraging President Banda to borrow lavishly from their country’s state companies to finance projects which are conceived without consultation with Parliament and the Zambia Public Procurement Authority. He clearly wants to secure the US$53 million loan to buy mobile hospitals mainly to win the rural vote in the 2011 elections, and they will do well not to participate in this furtive scheme if they are interested in cementing the existing cordial relations between their country and the people of Zambia.

No sleep for my Motherland!

The Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) interim president, Charles Milupi has described republican President, Rupiah Banda’s call for the electorate in Luena not to vote for him as a distortion to democracy.

Mr. Milupi who recently relinquished the parliamentary seat to take up ADD presidency, said that his conduct is within the obligations of the constitution.
he said the decision he made was in the best interest of the people and his performance in that area still holds enough reputation for him to retain the seat.

Mr Milupi said that ADD is an effective opposition political party that could be able to give a new turn to national politics by according credibility to the democracy that this country has been built on.

He pointed out that his party is by far the most popular party in the LUENA at the moment and MMD is too unpopular to compete for the parliamentary seat.

The ADD president said he is building the ADD on issues and not character assassination as it has been the case with other political parties.

Mr. Milupi, however, said that he does not expect the republican president to take pride in insulting competitors.
[ QFM ]