Maureen urges Zambians abroad to invest at home
Maureen urges Zambians abroad to invest at homeBy Patrick Kayukwa in London
Tuesday November 06, 2007 [03:00]
FIRST lady Maureen Mwanawasa has urged Zambians living abroad to return to Zambia and invest in the country. At a luncheon hosted for her in London in recognition and appreciation of her work in Zambia, Maureen said all that was required were good ideas.
“When we were growing up, we were told about the Scramble for Africa. Now there is a scramble for Zambia. You come back home and invest, otherwise you will be left out. You don’t even need to have alot of money to come back home to Zambia. All you need are ideas. A good idea is followed by money,” Maureen said.
“Don’t be a Phiri ana bwera (a song by Nashil Pichen Kazembe which talks about a certain Phiri who left the village to work in the city and came back home empty handed after many years).
“Ecclessiates 12 in the bible reminds us that we are not growing young, we are growing old. The eyesight is not what it used to be. Ears don’t hear so well. You used to wear high heels now you don’t. When you go to a hair salon you don’t stay long in the dryer because you get a headache. “
Maureen said fewer Zambians were living in mud houses now even in villages. She said Zambia had minerals throughout the country and that under the Vision 2030, there was a target for each province to have a major mine. Maureen said there was free primary school education and eighty schools would be built next year.
She said planes going to Zambia were full of different kinds of people coming to invest.
“What is your vision for 2030? As for me, I would like to see a skyscraper in Kanyama, a flyover in Matero in 2030. Those women who were cross border traders are now going to Dubai, because flights are affordable,” Maureen said.
“The Copperbelt which once collapsed is now back to life. The closed mines have been re-opened. Luanshya mine is one of them. There are traffic jams everywhere. People are buying cars every day. Inflation has dropped to single digit,” Maureen said.
She said access to loans was no longer a big problem.
“For some, all you need to borrow money from a bank today is a payslip. I am one of the beneficiaries of this economic boom. I borrowed K100 million from Standard Bank for my small farm, repaid it, and borrowed the same amount again,” Maureen said.
“Banks are begging people to lend them money. There are branches everywhere including in most townships. You don’t need to go to town anymore to find a bank.”
She said if Zambia failed, it would not be President Mwanawasa who would have failed.
“Who is government? Recall from your school days – government is…?” Maureen asked as the audience responded: “Of the people, by the people, for the people.”
During the luncheon, wife of the Zambian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Grace Chibwa donated £2,000 (K16 million) to the Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative (MMCI) on behalf of the Zambia Tushuke Club.
Zambia Tushuke Club is a charity run by wives of Zambian diplomats and female Zambian diplomats based in the UK.
In attendance at the luncheon was Cherise Makubale, winner of the first Big Brother Africa as well as wives of other foreign diplomats accredited to the United Kingdom.
Labels: DIASPORA, INVESTMENT
posted by MrK @ 8:54 AM
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