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President Mwanawasa today held private talks with former British minister for Overseas Development Baroness Lynda Chalker who is also founder and chairperson of ‘Africa Matters’, Limited, an independent commercial consultancy
supporting private sector development in Africa.
The meeting took place at Intercontinental Hotel in London, United Kingdom.
President Mwanawasa’s closed-door meeting with Baroness Chalker this morning marked the end of his itinerary in the United Kingdom where he was among the leading
speakers at this year’s Africa Business Forum.
Baroness Chalker served as minister for Overseas Development from July 1989 until
May 1997.
Currently she holds a number of non-executive directorships and is the first and so
far only woman to be appointed as non-executive director of Unilever Plc, for which
she first worked as a statistician at the beginning of her career.
While in the UK, President Mwanawasa also attended and addressed the Zambia
Investor Forum organised by Merrill Lynch at Ironmonger’s Hall at Shaftbury Palace,
Barbican, London.
The President also held closed-door talks with his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri
Musevenei and UK minister for Africa, Lord Triesman.
The hallmark of President Mwanawasa’s official trip to London was the signing of the
Zambia-UK Partnership Agreement that will see Zambia receive £40 million per year
for the next 10 years.
The delegation to London included foreign affairs minister Mundia Sikatana, commerce
minister Felix Mutati, his agriculture counterpart Ben Kapita, State House chief analyst for press and public relations David Kombe and other senior government officials.
President Mwanawasa is expected to leave London for Lusaka this evening.
He arrives back home tomorrow morning. UK time, and is expected to touch down at
about 08:00 hours.
This is directly question to the president what gains is Britain get from Zambia-UK Partnership Agreement which will see Zambia recieve 40 million Pound for the next 10 years. I hope it has nothing to do with Economic Partnership Agreements(EPAs) proposed by the EU at their advantage in 2001. We know the EPAs must be signed by African countries before 2010 failure to do so that the penaties will be sanctioned on individual countries. The G8 end and majority of the people are disappointed because its the same story of unfilled promises. The AU chairman the president of Ghana mentioned the same that Africa wants to see action. The 60 Billion Dollars given for Aids help is short fall by 27 Billion per year it only amounts to 3 Billion which not enough to carter for the african continent.
DO really need all this help we keep crying for from the west?
guys realistically speaking, true help does not come from the outside, it originates from within. Zambians and Africa atlarge should look to themselves for help, not these muzungus with their own agendas at heart. The west has a formular to development because they have followed it and developed themselves, but tell you what, deliberatingly dont want to develop other places like Africa to keep control. The borrower will always be servant to lender!
look at mexico and USA. more than 500 lives perish every year trying to cross that tall fence between the two conutries to try and find some economic rescue into USA. In mexico, people get less than a $1/her while just across the same worker gets $8 an hour. Why would US atleast in all honest try to uplift the economy in mexico their nearest neighbor?? how can you trust US to help zambia millions of kilimetres away something they cant to mexico???
Think about this ….
Now since the game is on lets calculate. The referee is belongs to the another team (IMF)and line man too (World Bank)is for the other side. The Paris club who supposed to be neutral he is also favouring the other Team because he has interest. Ok we 40 million Pound from Britain in 10 year we pay 100 million pound to Britain that is minus 60 Million pound for us Zambia. We negotiate the debt to be cancelled the Empire say no you should continue paying debt servicing. Real for how wrong shall we be cheated and be at a recieving end with our abandant raw materials. I have travelled the whole of EU I have not seen a farmers where they crops like cotton, coffee, tea, mangoes, Bananas, etc. So who is a dependant here the West or us.We must start putting conditions to our pproducts so that these people they reliase we are serious. They cant survive without Africa.
I wish to point out that our leaders should try and avoid mogaging our nation.It`s a well known fact that major manufacturing companies for example in the USA are relocating their plants due to exorbitant labour and material costs to places such as Asia.These are the investors that our govt should focus on attracting because the`ll able to set up structures and create employment for Zambians.Furthermore,BOZ for example should open an investment account into which Zambians in the Diaspora can pump in their foreign currency and lent to Zambians for investments in areas such as real estate or manufacturing.Govt should also start using the fuel levy for its intended purpose ie maintenance and construction of roads.Zambia being a landlocked country should take advantage and setup tollgates contracted to private companies & funds raised could also go constructing new roads(freeways).This could significantly open Zambia up to the outside world in areas such as Tourism,Agriculture and so forth
This is the best Big LPM can get,meeting a former minister,and not the current coz them guyz are too busy to be meeting such people like Big LPM……meanwhile if the mayor or councilor or governor or whoever ,of London comes to Zambia,Big LPm will be the first one running and rushing to welcome that person.It pains me so much Big LPm travelling to England so many times,and never having met Lil’ Tony…..or Lil’ Bush,in the bushes in Texas…..(USA)….
#4 Chapi, thats good solutions. as we can see gentlemen, we realise that white man is still playing games with us, the africans rich with natural resourses. Lets take note of how we would like our society to run and our old folks will then have nothing to do but sit and watch. Its not pleasing for a child to born in poverty nor to find they are indepted to white coz fore fathers got loans and squandered the money. My professor tells me to come home and srve my people, this should be inborn within us to serve our society. My bro, i agree with u that funds raised outside by zambians can be a good source for capital investments. I urge every zambian in their respective walks of life to get best they can. But dont admire pipo like Dan pule who always think giving him money will get so many blessings. He makes it hard for a poor zambian to listen to him. God blesses his children who do his will. we should not think american churches will come to build zambia.
#5 Its crumbles of bread for the beggers. Another begging session?!! We call it private talks!! Thats aint nothing good for us. By the way, the guy he was talkin to is there to carry out strategic plan to enrich brits much more. Do you really think he wants every african to go stomach full of food?
Each time these agreements are signed, we are always told in glorifying terms how much we stand to receive. Let’s begin to demand the full picture, what are the other terms? What’s in it for Britain (UK)? Or put simply what birth rights have we sold?
This is fantastic news! Our state of economic stagnation will continue for another guranteed ten years! Oh hail our great misleaders!
Our debts where “cancelled†meaning we will be “paying back indirectly†through the mines that we “sold†meaning “gave away.†We will receive “aid†meaning we have gotten ourselves another “mortgage.†They are “partners in development†meaning they are “opportunists†that see profits in hopeless and hapless Africans. Tell me why there are always protests at the G8 meetings and you will discover why our leaders continue to be duped and cannot find their way out of this quagmire and maze.