The summit of political party presidents in Zambia has asked all citizens to trust its stance of dialoguing towards enacting a new constitution following the consensus made on Saturday to have a constitutional conference as opposed to the Constituent Assembly.

Officially launching the Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID) at Mulungushi International Conference Centre today, President Levy Mwanawasa said political party leaders have agreed to dialogue and bury their differences with the aim of upholding the interest of the Zambian people.

Mr. Mwanawasa, who is president of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy
(MMD), said political party leaders have chosen a path of political action that
would ensure a new legitimate constitution was enacted in the interest of all
Zambians.

“We chose to bury our differences, we chose to forego our popularity contests for
the sake of Zambia. We agreed to one clear message and that is to give effect to a
body through legislation that will sit down to debate the proposed constitution,” he
said jovially.

He added that the leaders’ collective agreement surmounted any hurdles that might
impede the process of coming up with a new constitution, which he said should be
achieved through dialogue and consensus.

Mr. Mwanawasa further assured Zambians that political party leaders would never
violate the current constitution or do anything that was inconsistent with the
resolution of the Zambian people.

“That will be an inclusive process, it will also be cost-effective, it will be
within the laws that we have given ourselves. It will honour Zambia and not any
political party’s individual interests. Fellow Zambians, trust this process and
remain engaged,” he said.

The President has since appealed to all Zambians to give support the process and the
people involved in it.

He also called on donors tom support Zambians in their process of adopting and
enacting a constitution that would have the voice of the majority Zambians.

Mr. Mwanawasa paid tribute to the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy,
which played an important role in the establishment of the ZCID.

And Chairman for the Summit of Presidents, Fredrick Chomba, said political parties,
which all along have been operating as antagonistic entities, have now resolved to
work together for the benefit of Zambia as a country.

Justice Chomba said new circumstance have forced the parties to recognize that there
was strength in unity.

“Our political leaders have cast out disunity, therefore let us all support them and
also cast out disunity and drive towards achieving our desired goals,” he said.

He said a widely accepted constitution would set a strong foundation for the much
desired economic development in Zambia.

“Let no one be a political passenger in this train,” he stressed.

And giving a vote of thanks, All People’s Congress president, Ken Ngondo said
dialogue was the key to democratic development.

“This day ignited a flame of hope in all Zambians, they were losing hope in the
political leadership,” he said.

Earlier, Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD) Executive Director,
Roel Von Meijenteldt called on politicians, civil society and the general citizenry
to make democracy performer better by dialoguing.

Mr. Von Meijenteldt congratulated the summit of presidents for compromising over the
mode of adopting the next constitution and urging them to continue dialoguing.

Meanwhile, opposition Patriotic Front leader, Michael Sata was missing at the launch
of the ZCID, leaving one chair on the high table empty..

ZCID spokesperson Newton Ng’uni said he did not know the reason for Mr. Sata’s absence.

Mr. Ng’uni said Mr. Sata had indicated that he would be present and changed his mind
at the last minute.

“Mr. Sata said he was coming but we are yet to get reasons for his absence. We
expected him to come but he said he was not coming at the last minute,” Mr. Ng’uni
told journalist after the launch of the ZCID.

Political party leaders that shared the high table with President Mwanawasa at the
launch were Edith Nawakwi for the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), Richard
Kapita representing the United Party for National Development (UPND), Tilyenji
Kaunda for the United National Independence Party (UNIP), Sakwiba Sikota of the
United Liberal Party (ULP), Kenneth Ngondo for the ACP, and Benjamin Mwila of the
National Democratic Focus (NDF).

Scores of executive members’ attended the launch.

Chief Mbang’ombe of the Chewa people in Katete in Eastern Province has castigated Dunavant Zambia Limited for exploiting workers and failing to plough back some of its profits to the community where itoperates from.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS today, Chief Mbang’ombe said the company was not helping the local community as it was only concerned with makin profit.

The chief said the company employed people from other provinces for senior positions  and only offered casual jobs to local people regardless of their qualifications.

 Chief Mbang’ombe also accused the cotton company of failing to fulfill the promise it made when acquiring the land for business operations that it would be manufacturing blankets and employ local people to ensure development of the area and its people.

He noted that there are several areas of need such as community schools, clinics
and orphans through which Dunavant could plough back its profits to assist the
community. 

 The chief said he wants investors who have the interest of the locals at heart. 

 He said as much as the country was in need of  investors, it was important to give those investors guidelines so that local people are not exploited in their land. 

He said foreign direct investment should result in the development of the
country and its people.
    
Dunavant’s cotton ginnery in Katete is about the largest cotton processing plant
in the country.

Western Province Movement for Multiparty Democracy Treasurer, Michael Kaingu has reacted sharply to allegations by  the opposition Patriotic Front members who accused President Mwanawasa of designing a situation that allowed Zambians believe that his predecessor, Frederick Chiluba was a plunderer.

Mr. Kaingu said the opposition party should not involve President Mwanawasa in matters that he was not party to.

He was reacting to the allegations raised in the Post Newspaper of today by some PF members.

The PF members allegedly said President Mwanawasa and the Post Newspaper’s Fred Mmembe have made Zambians believe that Dr. Chiluba was a plunderer by not calling him a suspected plunderer.

Mr. Kaingu charged that the MMD in Western Province was not happy with  the allegations levelled against Mr. Mwanawasa.

“I am very disgusted with the PF members as provincial treasurer for Western province who are bringing President Mwanawasa’s name into their problems,” he said.

He said people should respect the president and should not drug his name into the mud.

ZANIS

President Levy Mwanawasa has expressed disappointment at the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Lusaka Province leadership’s failure to attend the function in Bauleni compound.

ZANIS reports that President Mwanawasa who was visibly annoyed said it is no wonder that the ruling party had been doing so badly in the province saying the leaders in the province have not taken party matters seriously.

He said from December last year he had been asking the Provincial leadership to
prepare a programme to enable him visit the compounds to see for himself how people
live and the challenges they were facing but until now no programme had been drawn
for him.

President Mwanawasa was speaking in Bauleni Compound where he had gone to commission
the keep Lusaka Clean and Health Campaign.

President Mwanawasa has since directed Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa to
coordinate a programme with MMD National Secretary Katele Kalumba for him to visit
compounds and see for himself the way people live in Lusaka.

However, the President was elated to see MMD Lusaka Central Chairperson Elias
Mpondela who turned up to welcome him.

China will invest an additional $300 million in Zambia’s mining and manufacturing industries, a government minister said on Tuesday.

Commerce and Trade minister Felix Mutati said the money was in addition to the $900 million China has pledged to the Multifacility Economic Zone (MFEZ) in the Copper Belt town of Chambishi, 420 km north of Lusaka over the next four years.

Chinese and Zambian authorities have signed investment agreements which would see the creation of a cement plant, an acid plant and smelter for a new nickel mine in the south, as well as a fertiliser production factory, at a cost of $200 million.

Zambia and China had also agreed to construct a new $100 million high-technology economic zone on the outskirts of the capital Lusaka where television sets, cell-phones, radios and other electronic items would be manufactured.

“The Chinese … want to start manufacturing some of the items from Zambia instead of just importing raw materials,” Mutati told Reuters in an interview.

Analysts say that Chinese interests in Zambia have expanded from copper and cobalt mining to other sectors of the economy as a result of tax exemptions offered by Lusaka.

Mutati said resource-hungry Chinese firms would also use the smelter, to be constructed in Mazabuka district, 140km south of Lusaka, to process nickel from Botswana and Tanzania.

“They plan to have everything here … so that raw materials needed for their industry can be fed from these plants,” he said.

The Chinese would start work on the two economic zones in August, Mutati added.

“We anticipate that the economic zones will be functional by 2010. In Chambishi, 60,000 jobs will be created while less than a thousand jobs will be created in the high-tech economic zone. Many more jobs will be created in southern province,” said Mutati.

In Chambishi, the Chinese planned to construct a copper smelter and other projects in mining and agriculture.

Authorities had agreed to orient the Chinese on Zambian labour laws and culture to avoid tensions similar to those which forced Chinese President Hu Jintao to cancel a trip to Chambishi during a visit to Zambia in 2006.

Zambia’s opposition and labour unions accuse the Chinese of failing to observe safety standards and of paying workers salaries below the government minimum wage threshold of about 70 Zambian kwacha.

“There are some things they need to learn and they have told us they are willing to do so,” Mutati said, adding that Zambia had opened its doors to Chinese investors because “they are different from the West and tend to be quicker in transactions which make sense.”

President Levy Mwanawasa says Zambia fully supports the transformation of the Southern Africa Development Committee Parliament Forum (SADC -PF) into a regional parliament.

Mr. Mwanawasa said he has been concerned about the delay in bringing to fruition the goal of transforming the forum into a regional parliament.

He stated the Southern Africa Region is currently the only region on the continent
without a regional legislature.

Other regions as geographically defined have already established such parliaments to
advance common values missions and objectives of their respective economic
communities through the participation of their elected representatives.

These include Economic Community of the West Africa States (ECOWAS) parliament, the
East Africa legislative Assembly (EALA) and the Intergovernmental Authority on
development (IGAD) in the horn of Africa.

Mr. Mwanawasa said the forum since inception 10 years ago has taken root in the
region through its activities aimed at promoting regional integration, democratic
governance and peace through improved electoral practices and capacity building for
member countries.

He added the forum has established itself as one of the leading institutional
promoters of gender equality and as a dependable ally in the fight against HIV and
AIDS.

‘Indeed the forum has acquitted itself admirably in the decade of its existence,’ he
said.

Heads of States and Governments during a summit held in Malawi in 1997 envisaged
the transformation of the forum into a regional legislative body although no
specific time frame was set.

Mr. Mwanawasa ,however, stated that forthcoming SDAC summit heads of state and
government should be utilised in winding down the debate on transforming the forum
into a SADC parliament.

As Zambia takes up the chairman and hosts the summit of the regional body two months
from now, Mr. Mwanawasa expressed optimism that the summit will bring the matter to
conclusion.

The President was speaking at State house today when the SADC- PF steering committee
paid a courtesy call on him.

The Members include the Botswana speaker Patrick Balopi who is also chairperson of
the forum, Vice Chairperson , Nora Chase Mp from Namibia , Namibia Speaker Dr. Theo
– Ben Gurirab..

Others included Secretary General Dr. Kasukwa Mutukwa , Treasurer Exalgina Gamboa Mp
from Angola  and Zambia Speaker  of the National Assembly Amusa Mwanamwambwa and
clerk of National Assembly Doris Mwiinga   who accompanied them.

Speaking Earlier, Mr Balopi stated the delegation is in the country to raise their
concern over the idea as it had done with the presidents that have chaired the
regional body in the past years.

The SADC -PF said the forum when transformed would be a viable institution that the
can benefit the region.

He said the forum feel’s that parliamentarians have a role to not only compliment
the initiatives that presidents in the region   are propagating but also foster
programmes of regional corporation , trade and other developmental issues.

Mr. Balopi assured President Mwanawasa that the forum once transformed would not
duplicate the work of Pan Africa parliament and the national Parliaments.

Meanwhile, Mr. Balopi has commended President Mwanawasa for the economic
transformation and legislative reforms taking place in the country.

He further added that continent has a lot to learn from the war against corruption
that President Mwanawasa has embarked on.

And Speaker  of the National Assembly Amusa Mwanamwambwa said time has come for the
decision on the transforming the body to be made now that the pan African Parliament
is firmly established and operational.

‘The need to expedite this matter is even more pressing in view of the need for the
Southern Africa region to have a regional body to underpin its activities in the Pan
Africa parliament as well as in order regional and international organisation,’ he
said.

He commended President Mwanawasa for being the first head of state to support the
transformation of the forum in a regional parliament.

The Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative (MMCI) has donated a hammer mill to a women’s club of Ibale ward in Lupososhi constituency in Luwingu district.

Agriculture and cooperatives deputy minister Albert Mulonga handed over the hammer mill to the Munchishi Wa Seba women club on behalf of the MMCI during a colourful ceremony held in the area over the weekend.

Mr Mulonga who is also Lupososhi member of parliament, said the MMCI decided to
donate the hammer mill in order to alleviate the suffering being faced by the Ibale
community in grinding their maize and cassava.

The Mp said people in the area have been facing problems to have their cassava or
maize ground as they had to travel by canoe to Kasaba in Samfya or walk a distance
of 50km to access the nearest hammer mill at Tungati.

Because of this, a number of people had lost their lives as they either drowned or
where caught by crocodiles as they attempted to take their maize and cassava to
Kasaba using canoes on lake Bangweulu.

And receiving the donation, Munchishi Wa Seba chairperson Regina Muma thanked the
MMCI for the gesture.

Mrs Muma  said the hammer mill will help to alleviate grinding problems the
community has been facing for a long time.

Mrs. Muma explained that the proceeds from the hammer mill will be channelled
towards the support of the orphans and vulnerable children and elderly people in the
area.

She also thanked President Mwanawasa for the good agricultural policies that his
government was implementing saying this has helped in strengthening household food
security.
ZANIS