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.
HOW MANY PRESIDENTS HAVE VISITED ZAMBIA WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD. THEY KNOW WE ARE MOVING ON THE RIGHT TRACK THATS WHY WE ARE FRIENDS. WE SHARE NOTES. WELCOME BINGU THIS IS YOUR SECOND HOME AFTER HAVING STAYED HERE FOR SO MANY YEARS AS COMESA SECRETARY. HOPE YOU VISIT SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE SPOTS INCOGNITO
Whats the source of this story? Is it RB? Sounda like. We are just sick of this old man. There is nothing tangible he can ever talk. Which bumper harvest does he constantly refer to when he reduced the fertilizer support promgram from 8 to 4 pockets per farmer. What bumper harvest can you get from 4 pockest? To make matters worse, they are delivered late. Shame on this old man with his old monkey tricks. We needed one of the farmers who produced a bumper harvest to officiate this show and not this man from Malawi. Power to the people! our own people! Thats the leason we must teach this old man though you cant teach an old dog new tricks.
ZAMBIANS ARE HOSPITABLE PIPO WE WELCOME VISITORS AND TAKE CARE OF THEM. BINGU SHOULD YOU WANT TO SNEAK OUT OF YOUR SUITE AT PAMODZI TO GO SAMPLE YOUR OLD SHAMWALI WE SHALL GIVE YOU COVER
#3, you really sound s.tu.p.i.d hence i say speak on your behalf and not for zambians. Zambia is a christian Nation so we dont promote adultery. Shame on you. You may be broke and you have no money but PLEASE have brains!
#3 diasporic pressure his Old shamwali is no other than…….VERA TEMBO CHILUBA. what a
comedy.
There are no better guest of honours from within zambia? Or is RB just trying to divert our attention to his seemingly busy tourism shedule in the name of development? Maize bumper harvest when our inflation rate does not even indicate so, soon it will be in double figures and RB will be in IRAN with Abunamajad-what a name.
#6 , I am not an M.M.D supporter but I think the Malawian president is the right guest of honor. As Former COMESA secretary general he has an insight on the economic performance of not only Zambia but the region. Further, Malawi is doing better than Zambia in the agriculture sector and I think we can learn alot from them.
#3 Give the man space he has just got married. That’s why he has escaped into Zambia to have a break. No sooner the man has decided to get a breather than you want to inundate him with more. Such unprecedented generosity is tantamount to terrorism.
#4 REDCARD FREE AT LEAST MAKANDI YOBE NA KA FATHER KA FAKE KA BWALYA WABA PULI. SUFFERING IN JBURG YOU THINK THATS LONDON OR NEWYORK MU HILLBROW. I CAN NEVER STAY THAT SIDE WERE GUNS AND KNIVES ARE THE ORDER OF THE DAY. YOU ARE STRANDED BLOGGING PA INTERNET CAFE AS I BLOG FROM THE COMFORT OF MY STUDYROOM
Iam also not an MMD supporter and will never be but Mutharika is a very good President. I wish he was Zambian because he could have led our great country out of its present quagmire; being led by a senile cabbage that is leading us back into corruption or another one whodoesnt have any plans. Mutharika has made Malawi one of the fastest growing economies in Africa while we are wayawayaling failing to fix potholes in roads that Welensky left.
#8 Kalyo Bwele
We wont give him time and space Check Google “Nyasatimes/vera chiluba tembo” it was a hit story in Malawi on his wanting to marry Vera and what malawians said about our former first lady. Really insulted her in their tabloid, Mutharika let go of her. Now I wonder how it was when they met with FTJ yesterday during his welcome since RB took FTJ and KK along.
#7 achimwenye-were ever this learning is taking us-into high inflation 5 decades since independence? The learning we are doing is swindling taxpayers money-simple. Even the educted Lungwangwa, Neo simutanyi, the Baala’s and the list is endless- they ,merely speak as us and not as people that have been blessed with much knowledge.
Mpangula Mputyu we all know ati ngawalitestapo mudala teti uleke. Plus abena Vera bamonekaka kwatibalapela!
#9 DIASPORIC PRESSURE, look at this comment full of insults make reasonable comments, becouse this shows mung’anda wafuma…any this is correct for you thats why you are supporting ma MMD..boy make some trips out of your parents sights i think you will know that insults in politics are old stuffs ..be logical.
I have failed to understand why some people find it fit to insult other bloggers here please respect other people’s opinions do not go round thinking that you know it all than anyone it is very wrong we all write here to air our views the way we see things in our own way. Respect other people’s choices if i want to live outside Zambia it is no one’s business or pain because it is my life and i will as i wish.
Atase, Bingu wa Mutharika Williams was fired from COMESA for looting the regional body’s coffers. I even read a rebellion by staff there who ganged up in a letter to the COMESA presidents to force that thief out. If these are the type of presidents Kansundila can afford to lure here then we are in trouble.