Maravi

Developments in Zim are of great concern – Levy

Developments in Zim are of great concern – Levy
By George Chellah
Wednesday March 14, 2007 [02:00]

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa yesterday said the recent developments in Zimbabwe were of great concern to Zambia. And President Mwanawasa urged Zimbabwean Ambassador to Zambia, Lovemore Mazemo, to explore the possibility of considering ways in which the two countries could mitigate the consequences of the burden of sanctions weighing on Zimbabwe's shoulders. During presentation of credentials by Ambassador Mazemo at State House yesterday, President Mwanawasa, who was referring to media reports that opposition MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai had been badly beaten and arrested, said he was hopeful that a solution would be found to the Zimbabwean problems.

"The recent developments are of great concern to us. This morning for example I was reading on TV that the opposition leader (Morgan Tsvangirai) was badly beaten during his incarceration over the recent difficulties he has had with authorities there," President Mwanawasa said. "I am unable to comment much because I haven't received a report from our ambassador. I am delighted that as we prepare for August when Zambia takes over the chairmanship of SADC, that will provide us the opportunity of getting close to the situation in Zimbabwe." He said the problems in Zimbabwe could only be solved by Zimbabweans. "Everybody else can only and will only advise and advice can be accepted or rejected," President Mwanawasa said. He also expressed concern with the effects of the Zimbabwean situation. "When the economy in Zimbabwe coughs, ours also coughs," he said.

He said Zambia like other SADC member states had shared the anguish of the difficulties that Zimbabwe has been experiencing. "We have supported the policies of your government, which have corrected the inequity of the colonial legacy. The land policy, which has served as a pretext for Western Europe and the United States of America to impose sanctions on your country, is good for our Zimbabwean brothers and sisters," President Mwanawasa said. "After all, they sacrificed their lives during the liberation war for their freedom and their land. Ownership of land is the inalienable right of the indigenous people of any given country, including Zimbabwe. Land should be accessible to the ordinary men and women because it is also essential in the creation of wealth and the fight against disease and poverty."

President Mwanawasa said Zambia was convinced beyond reasonable doubt that freedom without ownership of land was hollow and absurd. He said the two countries should maintain good neighbourliness and friendly relations based on trust and confidence. "This entails that the two countries may engage in a frank dialogue when an uncomfortable situation arises. In this case, the economic situation in your country is no longer the same as in the early years of independence up to the year 2001," President Mwanawasa said. "I wish to urge Your Excellency, to explore the possibility of considering ways in which our sister countries could mitigate the consequences of the burden of sanctions weighing on Zimbabwe's shoulders. While you are engaged in this exercise, you can count on Zambia's brotherly support.

And Ambassador Mazemo said in his 'send off' remarks to him, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe recounted how Zimbabwe's struggle for self-determination could have taken an uncertain longer route had it not been for the sacrificial support of Zambia. "I wish to make a solemn pledge and dedicate my entire tour of duty towards giving more scope, content and volume to the excellent relations already existing between our two countries," Ambassador Mazemo said. "It will be not just duty, but also my commitment and pleasure to work closely with the government and people of Zambia in exploring every perceivable channel, avenue and prospect, with a view to deriving for our two countries, the maximum mutual benefit from the inexhaustible potential that there is for cooperation and partnership." He said besides making bilateral trade more vibrant, the two countries could and should graduate into real partners in development through investing in each other's economy and people. "Allow me to reaffirm the deep confidence and trust that President Mugabe has in you, Your Excellency and in the government and people of the Republic of Zambia, as solid partners in the pursuit of the goals of SADC and COMESA," Ambassador Mazemo said. "Our regional bodies; the Pan-African agenda we share at the African Union, as well as our many shared interests at international fora, such as the UN, where we together seek to forge an international climate that guarantees peace, stability and development for all nations, big or small, rich or poor, powerful or weak."

Earlier during the presentation of credentials by the Federal Republic of Brazil's Ambassador to Zambia, Josal Luiz Pellegrino, President Mwanawasa said he looked forward to meeting and holding fruitful discussions with President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva during the course of this year. "The opening and in your case re-opening of residential diplomatic missions in each other's respective capital cities is a unique opportunity to enhance bilateral cooperation and political dialogue between Zambia and Brazil," he said. He urged the Ambassador to work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that the inaugural session of the joint committee of cooperation takes place within the second and third quarter of this year. "The joint committee will strengthen our ideals of South to South cooperation," President Mwanawasa said. President Mwanawasa said the HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to be the greatest health threat in the world today. "Zambia recognises and commends your government for pioneering an anti-HIV/AIDS strategy that has become an international model. A team of health experts visited Zambia in November 2005 and held discussions with Zambian health authorities," President Mwanawasa said. "To this end, we look forward to Brazilian investment in the production of ARVs in Zambia. I understand that the proposed investment will make ARV drugs cheaper and affordable, giving hope to our people."

And Ambassador Pellegrino said the meeting of the joint Zambian-Brazilian Commission that is expected to take place in Zambia would be of paramount importance to the further strengthening of bilateral relations. He said he was hopeful that at President Mwanawasa's invitation, President Lula Da Silva would pay the first visit by a Brazilian President to Zambia. "I am confident that this will be an historic visit of far-reaching significance, destined to write a new chapter in Brazilian-Zambia relations," Ambassador Pellegrino said. Later, President Mwanawasa met a delegation from British Petroleum (BP).

He said BP was a real development partner to his government and that the government appreciates the important role that BP has played in the energy sector. "About 12 per cent of the country's energy comes from fuel and you play a very important role in this. We have dialogued very well, we have cooperated together," he said. President Mwanawasa recollected how BP was contracted last year during the closure of Indeni Refinery. "It was a peak period, it was a farming period but you did a good job," he said. He bemoaned the poor infrastructure in the energy sector. "The infrastructure requires renovation and sometimes replacement. This will require the effort of the private sector because, you see, without fuel the economy collapses," President Mwanawasa said.

President Mwanawasa also said BP plays a very pivotal role in the social sector. "You have assisted the nation in sport plus other good causes you have supported," he said. And BP group vice president fuels marketing, refinery and marketing group, Tony Fountain said President Mwanawasa's government was highly respected in Africa for the job it was doing in terms of the economy.

He said they were looking forward to more opportunities to invest in the country. Fountain also presented a K300 million cheque to President Mwanawasa towards the construction of hostels at UNZA. And when receiving the cheque, President Mwanawasa said the population at UNZA has grown, resulting in less accommodation at the institution. "K300 million is enough to make the President to almost collapse," he joked.

Labels: MWANAWASA, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 3:58 AM