Former First Lady Maureen Mwanawasa has said there is need for Zambia to take advantage of its comparative advantage to add value to its goods and services before consuming and exporting them.
Speaking during the launch of the Africa Development Bank (ADB) 50th anniversary celebrations on the topic “The Africa We Want” in Lusaka recently, Ms Mwanawasa Zambia said had the potential to become like any other country.
“The Africa I would like to see is that we should eat what we grow, we should be able to add value to everything that we are exporting out of this country and also to start from somewhere. We cannot talk of exports before we can produce and add value to the things that we produce,” she said.
Ms Mwanawasa observed that Zambia had a comparative advantage in every province and district and was endowed with natural resources but that they had not been fully exploited.
“There is no reason Eastern Province cannot be producing edible oils for the whole province. They produce a lot of sunflower, they produce a lot of groundnuts but these are going out of Eastern Province in their raw form.
“Cooking oil still has to come from Lusaka after getting the raw material from Eastern Province so they do a double trip to get the raw material to Lusaka to come and add value and then take it back to Eastern Province,” Ms Mwanawasa.
Ms Mwanawasa said a similar state of affairs was the case when it came to maize farmers who grew the crop but ended up travelling at a cost to other areas to buy mealie meal.
She said there was need for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to ensure that it sets up milling plants in areas where maize was grown besides creating adequate storage facilities for the grain.
“There is no need to bring the maize all the way from Northern Province into Lusaka and then take back the finished products to Northern Province,” she said.
On tourism, the former First Lady said the situation where one tourist was watching 10 animals in Zambia as compared to countries like South Africa where 10 tourists viewed one animal had to be reversed as Zambia had the resources to attract as many tourists as possible.
Ms Mwanawasa also challenged African countries not to entirely depend on cooperating partners like ADB to bring a “miracle” to the continent without them putting up the required efforts.
Zambia’s potential will only come to fruition if we prioritise agriculture and tourism, Otherwise we shall continue talking of potential even after 100 years of independence.
Majority of Zambian’s do know that Maureen. What we luck is inspirational Leadership, which has been lucking for past 50 years and worse off now.
We have had a bunch of Leaders who interest is themselves First and aim at pulling down any Zambian who comes out.
“Jesus Not Coming Back By The Looks Of It” Admits Vatican
“Jesus Not Coming Back By The Looks Of It” Admits Vatican”
A SPOKESPERSON for the Vatican has officially announced that the second coming of Jesus, the only son of the God, may not happen now after all, but urged followers to still continue with their faith, regardless of the news.
Cardinal Giorgio Salvadore told WWN that this years 1,981st anniversary is to be the Vatican’s last in regards to waiting for the Lord to return to Earth.
“We just feel Jesus is not coming back by the looks of it.” he said. “It’s been ages like. He’s probably flat out doing other really good things for people somewhere else.”
Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus promised his disciples that he would come
…again in chapter John 14:1-3 of the bible: “There are many homes up where my Father lives, and I am going to prepare them for your coming. When everything is ready, then I will come and get you, so that you can always be with Me where I am. If this weren’t so, I would tell you plainly”
The Vatican defended Jesus’ broken promise, claiming “he was probably drinking wine” at the time when he made the comments.
“Having the ability to turn water into wine had its ups and its downs.” added Cardinal Salvadore. “We all make promises we can’t keep when we’re drunk. Jesus was no different.”
The church said it will now focus attentions on rebuilding its reputation around the world, but will keep an optimistic mind for the savior’s second coming.
Source – WW News
The very fact that Maureen has a platform to make such statements is the reason we shall never see any sustainable development in Zambia. Just because the husband was a successful President does not mean Maureen is a leader by any stretch nor does she has any sound political imagination to guide Zambia or Africa into anything like a developed nation. We “accept” anyone as a political leader without looking at their credibility for such status. “Selfless” educated leaders with sound forward strategic thinking for the betterment of a nation is the only way we can start the journey to development. Mwanawasa started us on this path but sadly the PF have taken us back 50 years.
POTENTIAL… Maureen’s idea is in the “Village Concept” manifesto. Maureen has potential to be a Zambian president, and remarry.
I concur with Maureen Mwanawasa. I have listened to her speeches before when she visited us with her late husband HIs Right Excellency Levy Patrick Mwanawasa the man who had put Zambia on the world map. Maureen is an honourable lady who has conducted herself well since she lost her husband and you would remember most people said she was the brains behind the right policies implemented by Mwanawasa. Whether that is true or not, they made a winning team and had Zambia at their best of interest. I remember when Mwanawasa ate with us during his foreign visits which was really humbling – rest in God’s eternal peace true son of the land and may good fortune turn to us again in the very nearest future so that a leader in the name of Hakaindewasa mu chisi will take over the reins of this country
Maureen, sigh, sigh, sigh!
@IN THE SECRET OF MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO GOD BUT ME- the vatican is stupid.is this when they are realising it?jesus himself said,”there are those amongst you who will not taste of death before they see the son of man return with all glory”.He was not speking in metaphors,he was telling those people then and not any christian to be born in the future.He was specific to those people that were listening to him then and not now or in the future.So dont let christians cheat that he meant people of the future!! So the conclusion is therefore either that;
1.Jesus is a liar,those people died and he never came back
2.Jesus came back during the time of those people,but was not recognised
3.Those people to whom he was talking to are still walking among us. they are close to 2000 years old now
Point of correction .No maize comes from Northern province as you know my Bemba cousins are very lazy.However they are the lagest exporter of boasting , lies cheating ,corruption, and of cause theft which in their DNA.
What a people ‘natolafye’.
joke!
LIAR, SEE BELOW:
Maize production in Zambia –2013 farming season.
Eastern Province 23%
Central Province 19%
Southern Province 18%
Northern Province (Muchinga 8%) ….16%
Copperbelt 8%
North western 5%
Luapula 4%
Lusaka 4%
Western 3%
@ambuya…basop iwe.
AMBUYA NINSHI MWALICHONA SANA? YOU ARE LIVING IN THE PAST MY DEAR. I MAY/MAY NOT COME FROM THE NORTHERN PART ZAMBIA. BUT, things have changed my dear. Northern Province may never import any corn meal from other provinces. They will now start feeding Zambia. In fact Northwestern, Luapula, Northern and Muchinga Provinces are simply turning into the bread baskets of Zambia. Young man start visiting Zambia otherwise you will be lost when you go back.
It doesn’t matter where the maize is coming from what matters is that industries are located near the source of the raw materials, Whether the maize is from mazabuka or Kasama is irrelevant. What Maureen is saying is that industry proximity to source of inputs required is the forward way to develop infrastructure in all parts of the country rather than taking everything to Lusaka or the Copperbelt. That would reduce transportation costs, create local jobs and encourage provinces to compete with each other regardless of which party is in government. Currently, African presidents or shall I say our current government has put punitive measures in place for provinces that did not vote PF. Backward politics will never be seen in the UK or any other civilised democratic country.
what ms mwanawasa is saying is just Industrial Engineering 101. All students in this field know that for a fact!!! Lets move on.
We need to develop development plans for each region depending on its potential. For instance southern province can produce maize but it is becoming dry and getting irrigation technology from Libya or Egypt we can make Southern province more productive again. So totally agree with Ms mwanawasa,that is the first lady the president requires no wonder Mwanawasa was a great leader.
Thanks Maureen for you wise advice. But be rest assured that as long as we have poor policies, nothing much will be achieved. Your observations are valid but some leaders hate advice. Suggestion: A change of govt every after their one term of office will suffice regardless of who or political party.
If we do not heed history, we will know our future and will just pass by our present. If you look at the model of what we inherited from the colonialists, they diffused power by ensuring that no one entity was self-contained. Perhaps, too, while most of the developed world had frugal agreements along federation, ours was merely a raw-material design. What we need right from our knowledge base, is a self-contained society in each of our provinces. For example, if you are born in Livingstone, you should be able to go to school from kindergarten right up to your PhD right there IF YOU WANT TO. As the design is now even that is a far-fetched dream. While you produce the raw corn for instance, mill it in your environment while sending surpluses to the Reserve Agency. Let’s shake off the past.
If we do not heed history, we will NOT know our future and will just pass by our present.
thanks maureen for that valid observation and analysis but you are just thinking aloud. the people you intend to deliver the message to have no time and capacity to decipher the theory, let alone putting it to reality. wait for UPND to come into power, they seem to be composed of knowledgeable team players
Maureen you had an opportunity to make zambia better but you focused on enriching yourself so go lie down
Maoreen for president????
Good article. But why should it be the the Ministry of agriculture providing grinding mills and not Commerce and industry? All Ministries should play their appropriate roles.
Nonsense! Politicking while citizens are starving. She can’t even manage her own family. Wtf makes her think she can manage country affairs? After all she’s just like Masebo…
With Maureen, it is always “all talk but no pants”! This former secretary likes using Buzz words which she grabs from the internet without properly understanding what they mean and how they can be effectivley applied in practice!
She was a first lady, had access to resources and even had had MMC organisation that managed to generate millions of Dollars (US$). Today she is PREACHING about value addition BUT but she CANT even tell us what Value Addition her MMC organisation has ever done to Zambian resources! Maureen needs to know that Value addition is not for other people BUT for her too!!
We all know she is still riding on her husband’s popularity but she needs to use that goodwill with caution – it’s a double edged sword if dont do what you preach like herself!
Spot on amake Chipo ! She has raised very good points right there.
There is nothing new you are saying Maureen…its self explanatory and everyone knows this……but where are the true leaders?
we will forever remain indebted to the developed world as we have selfish policies made on the run with no proper thought process and analysis….
our leaders have self greed and there is mismanagement in almost all industries……God help us….
we need visionary leaders like your hubby who left us…..
Very true as long as Zambians don’t keep voting for riffraffs and mediocrity!
Maureen there alot of good points in what u said,its only that most of the leaders we have are uncontroleble,they know everything,they are swiping the country,thats why alot of people miss your Husband he was really a man and a good leader,we didnt just see it.I wish he was alive,it z in his Government wer i made k4,000,000 in one day without using my money,i hope patrick can adopt his fathers legacy
2016 Elections Coalition Proposals based on Competencies
President HH or Dr Mumba
Vice President HH or Dr Mumba
Minister of Justice General Miyanda
Minister of Finance Magande
Minister of Health Edith Nawakwi
Minister of Youths and Sports Father Bwalya
Charles Milupi To be determined
Chipimo To be determined
Others to be determined based upon competencies and performance
We shall continue praying to ensure there are no confusions that hinder Zambia.
@Evaluator, do you get headache after thinking? You experience pain even when dreaming.
And BABY POLICE Home Affairs Minister
Mulongoti Youth and Sport
GBM Tansport and Communication.
Kambwili Fired
evaluator you are unbelievably dull my friend. your line up of mostly political failures is laughable.
……dependancy syndrome still cripples Africa in general and worsened by poor leadership, synergised by an illiterate population.
Maureen, the cartel is promoting you for a key role? Who does not know about your greed and stealing through tenders allotments and facilitations. Who does not know about your stashing of stolen money in overseas account through the Indian businessman.
Zambians should learn how to operate their mining industry and not sell them to foreighners who own billions of dollars worth of property by taking advantage of diamond, emerald, copper etc . What can I say , we are stinking rich, thank you zambia. You shall ever remain poor by selling us the mining industry
Becoming a developed country is a much more comprenhensive and involved process than Maureen makes it seem.And it can’t ever happen with the joke of a constitution like we currently have.