President Mwanawasa has expressed disappointment at the high number of Zambian High Commissioners and Ambassadors who were allegedly abrogating financial regulations in their missions.

Addressing Zambian High Commissioners and Ambassadors accredited to various countries at State house today, Dr. Mwanawasa said he had received reports that most envoys were disregarding laid down financial regulations as they run the missions abroad.

He said the alleged rampant disregard for financial regulations has prompted him to send auditors to foreign missions to carry out special audits.

“I am disappointed to note that the preliminary information I have gathered so far paints a negative picture. Most of you are not managing the public resources that are entrusted to you diligently,” he said.

Dr. Mwanawasa has since warned high commissioners and ambassadors saying he would not hesitate to discipline any one of them who would be found mismanaging public funds.

“You should all be mindful that government does not have sufficient resources. I therefore, expect you top be responsible enough to exercise prudent management of the meager resources available,” he said.

The President has also reminded the envoys that their primary role was to encourage and influence the flow of investment from the countries they operated from into Zambia.

He pointed out that Zambia has recorded positive strides towards recovering from the economic depression the country suffered before he assumed office.

“Zambia is not an island and we do not on our own have sufficient resources to exploit the abundant inert wealth which this country is endowed with. We should invite the outside to bring the much needed foreign direct investment to come and assist us develop this country,” he said.

He said ambassadors and high commissioners have a duty to understand and articulate various government policies and development achievements to interested parties in their countries of accreditation.

Dr. Mwanawasa further called on the envoys to be proactive and innovative by coming up with useful and creative ideas that could assists government steer the country to accelerated development.

The President also warned the envoys against criticizing government and its policies in the pretext of being intellectuals.

“A diplomat must demonstrate his or her intellectualism within the confines of government policies. As diplomats, you are not expected to express personal opinions, but rather you should always champion the position of government on any given issue of interest to Zambia,” he warned.

Dr. Mwanawasa however expressed hope that the diplomats would continue drive Zambia, through their efforts, towards achieving an economic success.

He thanked them for the efforts they have made to develop the country in their discharge of duties.

The Zambian diplomats accredited to foreign countries have been attending a 2008 Heads of Missions conference since Monday this week.

Meanwhile, President Levy Mwanawasa is expected in Katete district in Eastern Province next week to drum up support for the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD)candidate Reuben Banda in the Milanzi constituency Parliamentary by-election.

According to a State House programme availed to ZANIS in Katete today by Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Kelvin Kamuwanga, Dr Mwanawasa is expected to take off from Lusaka on Monday at 14:30 hours and arrive at Katete Air Strip at 15:40 hours.

On Tuesday morning, he will pay a courtesy call on His Royal Highness Paramount Chief Gawa Undi of the Chewa people at his palace and later meet Chiefs Kawaza and Kathumba at chief Kawaza’s palace.

The Itinerary indicates that later in the afternoon on the same day, the President will hold a rally at Kawaza village.

On Wednesday, Dr Mwanawasa is expected to hold another rally at Kagoro Basic School grounds from 11:00 hours after which he will depart for Lusaka at 13:00.

ZANIS/ENDS/LN/CLM

A United Liberal Party official in Kafue says the party will not take the invitation by UPND to join the party seriously because the UPND has not changed for the better from the time, Anderson Mazoka, died.

ULP Southern Province Vice Chairman, Manda Mwansa, has charged that UPND President, Hakainde Hichilema, is being unrealist by inviting ULP to join UPND and form one party.

Speaking in an interview in Kafue today, Mr Mwansa said that UPND has not shown any remorse for the violence, corruption and tribalism some members of the party have allegedly exhibited since the demise of late leaders Mazoka.

Mr Mwansa instead advised Mr Hichilema to consider joining ULPsaid it is Hakainde who should join ULP as he has allegedly exhibited desperation to work with ULP leader Sakwiba Sikota.

He said Mr Sakwiba has leadership attributes necessary for leading a nation.

He accused Mr Hichilema of having destroyed UPND by appointing more of his tribesmen to run affairs of the party.

Mr Mwansa also disclosed that more than 200 cadres have defected from UPND to join ULP because the party has lost vision based on principles and integrity.

ZANIS/BS/CMM/ENDS/SJK

The Copperbelt Provincial Office says there is need for more information on the Chambishi Multi Facility Economic Zone (M-phase project), if the local people were to understand what the project was all about.

Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Jennipher Musonda said there was need for more information on the project to be availed to the people
for them to understand it.

The Permanent Secretary said this would also enable her office to take up the issues and explain competently to the people.

She said this yesterday when the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs which had gone to Chambishi to assess M phase project, paid a courtesy call on her at her office.

Mrs Musonda said she was impressed that the Committee had made an effort to check on the project to gather information about it.

And speaking earlier, Committee Chairperson Given Lubinda said that there was need for the managers of the M-Phase project to build closer relationship with the community.

He pointed out that the Committee observed that there was so much investment in Chambishi that needed to be exploited to develop the area.

Mr. Lubinda has since urged managers of the M-Phase project which kicked off a few months ago to share information with major stakeholders and the people on the ground, because its success depended on them.

The Committee was expected to hold a meeting with management of Non Ferros Africa Mining Company (NFC), the company spearheading the project but could not because the General Manager Tao Xianghu and his deputy Zan Baossen were out of the country.

Chambishi on the Copperbelt has been earmarked for an economic zone and the project is expected to culminate into diverse investment.
ZANIS/ZANIS/EZ/CMM/CLM/

A 23- year- old bus conductor died on the spot when a Lusaka bound Combs coach services Scania bus allegedly ran over him.

The Eastern Province Police chief explained that it is alleged that the late Victor Sichula was leaning against the door of the bus whilst it was moving and as the bus driver tried to avoid hitting into potholes the door opened pushing the bus conductor out. He said it was at this moment that the rear left wheels run-over him leaving him dead.

Mr. Mundene wondered why the deceased decided to stand by the door side when the bus was not full as it had only 34 passengers on board.

He said depending on the outcome of Police investigations, the driver of the bus will be arrested and charged for the offence of dangerous driving.

Inspector General of Police Ephraim Mateyo has urged political parties participating in the forthcoming Milanzi by-election to conduct their campaigns peacefully and avoid violence.

Mr. Mateyo, in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today, said political parties participating in the by-election must keep in mind that violence will not be allowed as a way of enticing or forcing voters to vote for preferred candidates.

He disclosed that the commanding officer for paramilitary battalion senior assistant commissioner of police Peacewell Mweemba and his officers have already been dispatched to Milanzi for the purpose of reinforcing the already existing manpower in Milanzi constituency.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mateyo has directed the police on the Copperbelt to tighten security at Chililabombwe stadium in view of the impending international soccer match between Zambia and Swaziland on Saturday this weekend.

Mr. Mateyo said football cuts across national boundaries and any form of violence or conduct that instills fear will not be accepted because the results will be determined on the pitch.

He added that he has directed that offices assigned to police the stadium both in and outside are only given long and short buttons and should ensure that unnecessary congestion inside the stadium does not arise.

“I have no doubt that enough police human resource will be available in order to address areas of conflict, should need arise,” he said.

The Zambian Government yesterday launched the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Integrated Development Plan, KAZA, aimed at enhancing the growth of the tourism sector in the Southern African region.

Speaking shortly after the launch of the programme Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Michael Kaingu, said the launch of the integrated plan will significantly assist in the attainment of the social, economic and environmental goals set by the Zambian government.

He cited Namibia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola, Botswana and Zambia as key countries to benefit immensely from the KAZA integrated plan.

He said the move to sign the Memorandum of understanding was also aimed at improving the living standards of people in both Western and Southern provinces of the country respectively.

Mr Kaingu said the KAZA integrated plan will target three national parks that include Mosi-o-tunya, Kafue and Sioma-Ngwezi national parks respectively.

He cited infrastructure development such as roads, airports, hotels and the Private Public Partnership (PPP) as some of the extra remedial measures that the government has put in place to facilitate the growth of the tourism sector.

Mr Kaingu challenged entrepreneurs in the country to seriously invest in the sector by other developing places with attractive features such as water falls.

He said Zambia was still an attractive tourist destination with variety of unique tourism products that other countries did not have which he said needed to be exploited.

Mr Kaingu said ZTB should make the 2010 Soccer World Cup slated for South Africa and the 2011 All African Games to be held in Zambia a marketing tool for the development of the country’s tourism sector.

He also disclosed that his ministry is in the process of coming up with the carnival type of tourism that would enable the country to market its tourism potential meaningfully to other regions.

And speaking earlier at the launch of the KAZA programme, Senior Chief Mukuni of the Toka-Leya people of Southern Province pledged total support to the KAZA integrated plan and assured government of his subjects support to the programme.

Chief Mukuni said the successful launch of the programme will play a paramount role in the transformation of the Livingstone city and other surrounding areas as it would help in boasting Zambia’s tourism potential to greater heights.

He further urged his subjects to support the government plan in an effort to enhance tourism development and employment creation for the people.