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.
ZANIS
Thanks to Mugabe and his speach! Viva Rob!
Crushing into other people’s parties… no one will embrace you, but force yourself on them. isoni mwe..
So this I. D. I. O. T just went to witness the launch of the port, this man is not serious and never will. Its only the likes of Mugabe and and his relative (RB) who can make that unnecessary trip, and this is the same man who wants to be given another five years, i leave everything to right thinking Zambians to judge……..
I wonder what pipo tel RB at the airpot,is it mwaiseni or mwatandaleni/ coz he is 24hrs at the airpot.ahahahah.We realy hav a President.May God blesst Mother Zambia **== and all those who care about her.
its hard not to agree with mugabe. i wish we had kept our own super ken for a bit longer
This year’s independence celebration will be the most boring one in Zambian history. Celebrating with a president facing marrital disputes Mpulungu woman scandle. I hope KK will come to our aid to energise citizens.
Iwe Chilombo. Part of the problems Zambia is facing are a result of Kaunda overstaying. The fact that Chiluba was bad does not make Kaunda good. The truth is that Zambia’s days of better leadership are ahead of us.
Iwe #7 Lishki Mwanakwenda, leave Chilombo alone, you ngwele, kwati ni chi ichiwelele chi RB! Mugabe is ace and stands up to protect his resourses! KK was ace too, bar all the people who were bootlicking him!
Mr. Tourist nice to see u back. Just waiting to hear from u nosense tomorrow.
Mr. Tourist nice to see u back. Just waiting to hear from ur nosense tomorrow.
Vasco Da Banda on the move again. Mailo mukomfwa ati off to God-knows-where
!diot on the move again!!
i have just arrived from the toilet, i am now in the lounge area. LT publish this too. galu ya muntu uyu RB
Two protestors are feared dead when police opened fire on a crowd in Mongu, Western Province.
A previously unknown group calling itself the Barotse Freedom Movement (BFM) organized the protest to raise awareness about the need to restore the 1964 Barotse Agreement.
Police immediately moved in as protestors gathered in the morning for the protest and dispersed the gathering saying it is illegal.
Three police officers are reportedly to have been injured in the ensuing confusion and a vehicle from mobile operator company – MTN was burnt to ashes.
Some Mongu residents joined the protest because Mongu has had no electricity since Thursday
Mugabe was absolutely right by saying others are not need to be welcomed as investors, eg Chinese at Mamba coal minein southern province, very questionable.
‘Earlier, President Rupiah Banda said African leaders must be stubborn if they are to develop their countries and improve living standards of their people.’ Since when did stubbornness qualify as a virtue?
Stubborn leaders on the continent are Robert Mugabe, who stubbornly refused to give up power despite losing elections, Mwai Kibaki who did the same. Both’s stubbornnness has caused bloodshed in their countries. Fellow voters if a leader proves stubborn vote him out of office full stop!
LT , you have rmoved my entry which was No.2. stop intergering my right of expression and MMD will not be there foreever. This Ruphia Banda is clueless and brainless person. His priorities lies somewhere else. Imagine burning the fuel from Mbala to Malawi for port openning of another country. People are suffering he chooses to spend the hard earned tax payer on useless and aimless airmiles. His appetite to to break world record for air miles is the priority that he cherishes. It seems in state house there is a gost that chases him every time he enters. This Rupiah Banda is a laughing and shameless individual amongest us.
sorry interferingand not intergering
He is back for a change of Bambas before he heads out again
Nostradamus NO. 6
What are you talking about? What Mpulungu woman scandal? Please elaborate.
Secessionist fevers are running high in Barotseland and Kamwendo Munjila Kansundila -pa-Chigurumuthu Kakolwe is as usual in the air flying aimlessly. The lerthagy with Zambians to kick this painful joke out of power is tearing this country apart. If he does not sit down to sort out the matter boiling in Western province, there might be nothing the next president would be able to save the unitary status of this country.
This Nsanje inland port is very exciting for it will indeed spell good economic activity between Zambia and Malawi and other neighboring countries. Its high time we had our “own” port through our sister country Malawi. I cant wait for us to start trading obviously the economics looks good on the project. BRAVO MALAWI!
The economy of Malawi is smaller than that of the Copperbelt and I for one cannot see anything we as a nation stand to gain from these lousy Malawan inland port.
Forget about RB travels… Banda have gotten himself a new white Bodyguard… He Banda is so important now that Black People is not good enough for him anymore… he better keep the receipt for all the money he is paying these White Bodyguards because he will be coming up on charges for theft in 2011. I hope the White Man can save him then… No respect! No Respect! for your own. You have to know that you are the worst leader in the world when you can’t even trust your own people to be your bodyguard… Banda here is a novel idea; why not bring in a bunch of White People to vote for you in 2011 because those are the only votes you will be getting. Each time you think this Man (Banda) can’t possibly prove himself to be anymore brainless he keeps on surprising us.
People wake up inland ports are set up to rob merchants where international rules dont apply… airports and sea ports are visable places inland ports is where anything goes, have you ever tried trucking good into Zambia? you lose more goods to theft by truck (border corssing) that by air. RB and Mugabe have a master plan, this is how they are planning to rip off people and no one will know…. GOD help us all!
WHEN IS RB TRAVELLING TO THE MOON???