President Rupiah Banda has said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will not interfere in the way the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had reacted on the issue surrounding embattled Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo.
President Banda said the Western African regional body had done its work on Ivory Coast and that SADC has got its own problems as a region which it was handling.
Mr. Banda, who is also chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, said SADC, would not join in pressurising the Ivory Coast embattled leader, Mr. Gbagbo to step down.
President Banda was speaking to Journalists at the Lusaka International Airport shortly before he left for Cairo, Egypt where he has been invited for a for a State visit by his Egyptian counterpart, President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak.
“ECOWAS has done its work on Ivory Coast. As SADC, we cannot reach that level because we have got our own problems to solve,” President Banda said.
Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo is facing renewed international pressure to quit or “face force”, as thousands of Ivoirians flee the chaos in their homeland.
The West African regional economic bloc had given the incumbent President of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo an ultimatum: “Stand down or expect to face legitimate force”.
The statement comes after emergency talks on the crisis. At least 200 people have been killed since last month’s disputed election.
And Alassane Ouattara, the internationally recognised election winner, says perpetrators of violence “would be prosecuted”.
On the State visit he has undertaken to Egypt, President Banda said energy, construction and aviation sectors would be part of the discussions at the high-level talks with his counterpart President Mubarak on Tuesday after an official welcome parade in Cairo.
On the economical front, Mr. Banda said Zambia would benefit from Foreign Direct Investment (FDIs) because Egypt being in the middle-east understood a lot about what was happening in Zambia.
“Zambia will learn a lot from Egypt in the energy, construction and aviation sectors. Arab Construction firm is coming to Zambia and they will register a company in the country as well as repairing our aircrafts in the aviation industry as you are aware Egypt understands better what is happening in Zambia,” Mr. Banda said.
Whilst in that country, President Banda is also expected to present a keynote address to the Zambia-Egypt Business Forum, which will be attended by Zambian businessmen and women and Egyptian investors.
President Banda and his delegation were also expected to attend a luncheon to be hosted in his honour by President Mubarak.
Zambia and Egypt have maintained high-level bilateral relations and recently signed various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in various fields such as agriculture, land, livestock and fisheries, and science and technology.
President Banda began his career as a diplomat, serving as an Ambassador to Egypt during the reign of First Zambia Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda when Abdel Nasser was Egypt’s Head of State.
He is accompanied to Egypt by First Lady Thandiwe, Defence Minister Kalombo Mwansa, Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande, Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati.
Others on the presidential entourage include Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga, Presidential Affairs Minister Ronald Mukuma, Lands Minister Gladys Lundwe and other Senior Government Officials.
President Banda was seen off at the airport by Vice President George Kunda, Defence Chiefs, some Cabinet ministers, senior government officials and MMD party members.
President Banda and his delegation will return home after completing his scheduled business in Egypt.
ZANIS
Lyonse ni “Zambia will learn and benefit from the Visit”, how? only the RB and the Entourage know!!!!
Lets hope you are not thinking of doing the same next year when you lose the elections. ECOWAS will make their stance known, not you selfish thing skinned politicians ” ECOWAS has done its work on Ivory Coast. As SADC, we cannot reach that level because we have got our own problems to solve,” President Banda said…. the only problem you have is Mugabe.. but too scared to say. The great president Levy said it openly…a wise man. If i had a way to vote where i am i would make sure i vote MMD out.
mwendo panjila.let him enjoy themselves
How i wish zambian companies could also go out there and invest in other countries. For our rich people in Zambia, once they get abit of money, instead of reinvesting, they all of a sudden feel that they have to join politics. What a shame….are you telling me GBM can fail to convince his fellow rich guys to open up a Zambian wholely owned shoppin mall, instead he finds it fit to be giving so much money to Sata.
THIS CLOWN IS A JOKE.
HE WANTS TO COMMENT ON HIS A.U CONNECTIONS YET SAYS NO COMMENT ON A MAJOR AFRICAN ISSUE.
HE WILL INVITE A INDICTED PRESIDENT TO A CHAT SESSION BUT WILL NOT SAY ANYTHING TO UNITE ALL OF AFRICA IN CONDEMNATION OF THE ACTIONS OF GBAGBO.
NO WONDER HE IS MUTE ON BAROTSELAND.
Back to grade 1 . We are learning everything all over again…! ….Back to reciting MOU’s and FDI’s .
Just as well that SADC will not have a hand in the Ivory Coast issue. Who doesn’t know that SADC is powerless to make sensible, honest and real lasting decisions? The Southern African body is only a money wasting club of nations.
As someone already observed here, SADC can do nothing to make Mugabe understand how democracy works. The whole SADC body is full of cowards who hope that when they rig elections in their own nations, no one will challenge them, but prop them up to stay on in power.
Shame on SADC!
Under Mandela the Zimbabwe fiasco would not have happened. The only Southern African leaders with charisma enough to standout and standup against Mugabe were Levy Mwanawasa and current Khama of Botswana. Surprise surprise RB won’t say anything about ravenous Ghabo of Leone.
Personally I do not know why the media even reports about RB response to simple diplomatic issues. Let me sum it up for you all. Any time their is a crook or evil terrorizing his people; or has and we are all against it even God, RB will be praising them or inviting the same evil fellows. Reason is that it would reduce his vacation spots on his rupia-ver travels.
What is SADC by the way?
how about we swap sadc with ecowas with the west africans? mugabe would not be making news by now and mbheki the mighty diplomat would have seen to it that gbagbo or whatever was rejoicing at this moment
This joker has nothing inspirational to offer to the Zambians. He is mute on the Ivorian situation because he would want to perpetuate his hold on power after being ejected next year.
By the way, when are other countries going to start learning from us? This joker say Zambia is always learning from his s.tupid travels. What can we teach others if at all we have anything?
SADC, would not join in pressurising the Ivory Coast embattled leader, Mr. Gbagbo to step down? What kind of cowardice is this? When the AU has condemned Gbagbo who is SADC not to join in applying pressure? Is it because Banda knows what he himself does to votes that he doesn’t want to condemn Gbagbo?
Elyo reporting nayo ba LT kaya ngatiniba ZANIS do u have journalists? Just answer some questions from your story: What is the economical front?
“Egypt being in the middle-east understood a lot about what was happening in Zambia.” Does this mean everyone who is in the mid east understands what is happening in Zambia? Why?
What is the use of that quote of confusion starting “Zambia will learn…firm is coming to Zambia and they will register a company in the country as well as repairing our aircrafts.”
“President Banda and his delegation will return home after completing his scheduled business in Egypt.” Well he has to return home sichoncho?
Vasco da Banda! We all agree that he has no idea whatsoever on what is happening in Ivory Coast. When would he find time to know when he has busy travelling all over! Prince RB the Aviator!
Mr Banda, the biggest problem SADC has is your frequent travels. Ala balakwamba that you like ukutandala mumayanda yabene. They cannot just tell you. They say ati uyu nao utemwa ukutandala. Echoebela nomulomo.
Vasco RB is fearing to give a clear stance knowing so well how sweat the sit is and how he intends to behave come next year!
I hope as ECOWAS sort out NGABO, other African Presidents including Ours will take a leaf.
ZANIS!!!!
Such reporting is boring.
Who cares to know who saw off RB.
And why tell us that RB will return home after the visit….Isnt that obvious.
No wonder we are not developing!!!! Gutter Jounalism
Countrymen and women,lets spare our journalists;these stories are written by one Dickson(might even be VJ)-its a matter of cutting and pasting by Zanis,TZ,ZNBC and ZDM.Remember our HERB has in past trotted from one country to another on state visits….so its not obvious he will return after completing business in one country.Its kind of them to inform us(of course under instruction) that the mileage will not exceed a round trip to the land of the pyramids this time around
#2
Fimofim- He is certainly studying how to Gbagbo an election. Just wait
What a useless president we have. Hasn’t this chap of a presidnt been a diplomat before. How do you play neutral when it is clear that Gbagbo stole the vote. Anyway, birds of the same feather flock together. Mr Banda stole votes from Sata in the last elections. And so that explains his muted response to the crisis in Ivory Coast. The chap, am sure, wants to dispute elections next year after he loses – in typical Gbagbo style.. The truth of the matter is that Rupiah Banda is a coward
yOU HAVE FAIL ZIMBABWE. WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE THE MOST INTELLIGENTS LIKE ECOWAS.
ECOWAS IS MORE ACTIVE THAN SADC
1. Of course he will not…he’s probably hoping to pull a “Gbagbo” next year lol
2. Our dear president travels more than Obama !!! when does he actually have time to actually “govern”
#14 D ickson Jere’s reporting leaves a lot to be desired. I think he wants to say economic front. Jere thinks the middle east is part of Chipata and eastern province so having given Zambia Rupiah Banda they shud know what’s happening in Z. The quote is to show that the broken English is not from the reporter but from Kanitundila himself. The last sentence is just to assure the readers that Vasco da Banda won’t be going off to discover other lands after Egypt
This confirms that RB is a desperate man that is planning similar tactics (as Gbagbo) to hold on to power in 2011. First he changed the Anti-corruption laws, and then he got the Army generals swearing allegiance to him (RB) and not the Zambia, now he is siding with Gbagbo?
Have you all noticed that all is so-called state visits are to countries with dictatorship? People of Zambia wake up and show up at the poles in 2011 and stop this madman.