President Rupiah Banda is among some several Heads of State and government in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region who have been invited to Mozambique to witness the inauguration of President-elect, Armando Guebuza of the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) party.
President Banda is expected to arrive in Maputo at Maputo International Airport at 09:00 hours tomorrow for Mr. Guebuza’s swearing in ceremony scheduled for Thursday, January 14, 2010.
Zambia’s High Commissioner to Mozambique, Agness Ngoma confirmed this to ZANIS in Maputo today.
Ms. Ngoma said President Banda will also attend a SADC troika meeting that will take place after the inauguration ceremony here on the same day.
She said the President might also have separate meetings with other heads of state from the region.
She said President Banda will be accompanied to Mozambique by Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande and some other senior government officials.
The Mozambican government has also invited some former heads of state and government in the region to join in the inauguration celebrations.
From former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda will be among the former heads of state also invited to witness the ceremony.
President Banda and his delegation are expected to return home on Friday, January 15th 2010.
President Banda’s attendance at the inauguration was important to the enhancement of the already existing relations between Zambia and Mozambique.
President Guebuza won at least two-thirds (77 percent) of valid votes in Mozambique’s October 28, 2009 general elections after garnering 2.3 million votes.
He beat Afonso Dhlakama of the opposition Mozambique National Resistance party (Renamo) and Daviz Simango of the newly formed Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), who polled 420,000 votes and 280,000 votes respectively.
Out of a total of 250 parliamentary seats, Frelimo got 192, Renamo fell in the second position with 48 constituencies while MDM trailed behind with eight seats.
In his election for the first term of office in 2004, President Guebuza’s Frelimo party had 160 seats while Renamo had 90 seats in the National Assembly. The recent election means that Frelimo increased its representation in parliament while Renamo reduced from 90 seats to 48.
In their pre-October 2009 campaign messages, President Guebuza pledged to continue addressing many issues among them poverty and unemployment while Mr. Dhlakama promised among other things, to abolish party branches in state institutions and to promote peace and stability in the country.
MDM’s Simango campaigned on the promise of modernizing agriculture, promoting rural trade and reducing unemployment.
Mozambique uses an electoral system of Proportional Representation.
ZANIS
The 7.0-magnitude quake, Haiti’s worst in two centuries, struck on Tuesday. The capital’s Catholic archbishop, Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot, is also among those killed.
Are we living in “those days”?
Yes Chapwa the last days have been ignited, one other thing remember Haiti is a Vodoo state by relgion, kwaliba. They should embrace God again, and nations of the worldshould bail them. Especially England and France for taking them there in the first place.
Let us send prayers for them.
May the enocent souls lost in Haiti earthquake rest in peace.God help us
I trust Mugabe will also be in attendance.
All these SADC based meetings , all this pomp and ceremony , and yet nothing comes out of it for the people of Zambia. Nothing whatsoever ….!.. It’s just limo’s and limo’s and greetings and officialdom and talks that take us backwards……look at that classroom in the w/end pictures section, …it’s pathetic. .. Animal shelters are built better than that…Is that the sort of standard that arises from being part of sadc? .Presido and many officials expending all this energy and resources…,.. for what?
…Anyone out there to explain any tangible benefits of sadc since it’s formation ?
# 1 … Sad indeed for the already dispossessed and once again , a test on humanity…….It’s been on the news for a while now though
Haiti earthquake is the most devasteting natural catestrophy, people have lost their lives and the all Haiti is completely cut off from the rest of the world, no communication,no food, no medicine. no everything. Many thanks to America, Canada and Brazil for acting so swiftly in helping people of Haiti with relief aid and emergency aid.
Flying again. Kamwendo munjila! God bless Haiti. I would have had no qualms if RB said he is off to Haiti on Saturday.
Flying again. Kamwendo munjila! God bless Haiti. I would have no qualms if RB says he is off to Haiti on Saturday.
Hait: Mathew 24:7 2 Timothy 3:1-5 what then Mathew 24:14.
Hait: Mathew 24:7, 2Timothy 3:1-5 and what then, Mathew 24:14 and to the righteous ones? Palms 37:29
He was in Angola only the other day and yet tomorrow there he goes again to attend a stupid inauguration. Had this been Armando Guebuza’s insuguration for his first term, one would understand but this is his second for heaven’s sake. And these so called SADC troika meetings, I agree with #5 above, one has to think very hard to find more useless and toothless indabas than these Troika meetings. To make it worse, Banda spends half the time snoring during these meetings so one honestly wonders why we have to pay for him to attend when there is absolutely zero benefot to Zambia. Further, he himself once claimed the Zimbabwe problem is too hard for him, then why attend Troika? Chikulu mphuno, chiliye malango ngango!
THE Supreme Court has found former Republican vice- president Enock Kavindele liable for contempt of court over the utterances he made in The Post newspapers of November 5, 2009 involving the Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ) and Vodacom Zambia Ltd. Now, this contempt case came about on November 5, 2009 and yet our supreme court has found Kavindele liable but for Chiluba’s London verdict case that has been pending registration for well over two years now, these ancient I.D.I.O.T.S. called judges still see no need to bring closure to the case. I hope the next president will fire them all, right from Sakalanyongo to Phillip Musonda.
The story is on RB! Mukamba vaku Haiti! Haiti has its own story. Thats why this country cant develop because we are not focussed. Its like answering an exam question thus: “What is the capital city of Ethiopia?” Answer – “The Pope is Roman Catholic”.
Surely, where is the connection? And we blame the govt for the high drop out rate of our children in schools!
Now, coming back to the story, RB is expected in Addis Ababa at the end of this month. I tell you, we are being ruled by a President in Proxy!
#13 Ba moze, we are just tired of RB trips which dont even benefit zambia, thats why some of us find it difficult to comment on this topic, instead shift our attention to world news and talk about Haiti devastated caterstrophy. if you have seen the pictures the story is heart touching than this RB trip to mozambique.
I wish zambians had a clue how much kwacha we loose on a single tirp of RB, they would block that road to the airpot. Its BILLIONS OF KWACHA people. His entourage is more than 40 people, 10 of them who go well ahead of his trip. Lets do something people. Look at Angola’s stadiums sure tetitumfwekofye nensoni?
There is nothing to do at home. These meetings and invitations seems to be endless. Who is footing the bill?
Emulate the president of Botswana who rearly attends these meetings. He is Busy seeing that policies are implimented and projects are done. his eyes are a few deputy ministers who regulary report to him on the progress of govt projects. Those who do not deliver are asked to retire or get fired.
#15 Mwiponta, Thanks. I have seen the pictures. Sad indeed. I can imagine the Haitians thought the world was coming to an end. However, i was forced to make my comments because i found it strange that on a topic involving RB, the first comment would be “earthquake in Haiti”. I was baffled. at some point i thought i was the one who was crazy!
Ba Moze # 19, RB’s trip is not worthy toking abt, we are tired of his never ending trips, when we have numerous problems he MUST attend to at home and now..what is he running from?..why cant he delegate? maybe he has NO work schedule..what is on his desk are maybe trips only…
The weather is pretty dry don’t you think? Where has the rain gone? My milisi is withering…
Moneni NaChale nayena pa #21!! Lol!!
#20 Tombolilo, I agree with you one hundred %. I think that since he has no clue on how to govern, the best way to try and show people that you are working, is to criss cross the globe.
the travelling president at it again!!! soon as the dust settled about his absences, he just couldnt resist the temptation of accumulating more frequent flier miles!
RB is a president of Zambians in the diaspora..thats why he likes travelling. He is always checking on you diasprans. So dont complain guys!!!!!!!!!