Maravi

(LUSAKATIMES) First Lady urges Americans to invest in Zambia

First Lady urges Americans to invest in Zambia
Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 7:14

First Lady Thandiwe Banda has appealed to the people of the United States of America to take advantage of Zambia’s conducive political and business environment to invest in the country. Mrs. Banda has also reiterated that Zambians consider peace as an essential ingredient for current and future development initiatives hence they promote it.

She was speaking in Beverly Hills at the Fox Entertainment Studios in Los Angeles, USA, last night at a cocktail party held in her honour by the Fox Entertainment Group.Mrs. Banda, who is here at the invitation of a not-for profit organization, Prevent Hate, is accompanied by 13 Zambian businesswomen who were today scheduled to attend an entrepreneurial workshop.

The workshop is aimed at fostering business linkages between Zambians and their Los Angeles counterparts. At the cocktail party that was attended by an array of Hollywood stars and business persons, Mrs. Banda said Zambia was an ideal investment destination because of its political stability, abundant natural resources and enabling business atmosphere.

She emphasized that it was important that Zambians and the business persons of Los Angeles took advantage of the twin-city relationship that has existed between Los Angeles and Lusaka since 1968. And Fox Entertainment Group senior vice-president Mitsy Wilson said her organization was honoured to host Mrs. Banda who was accompanied by Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Minister Catherine Namugala.

And in an interview with Fox News, Mrs. Banda said peace was an asset that Zambians could not afford to lose as there were many lessons from many African countries about what would happen in the event of turmoil.

Mrs. Banda told anchor Susan Hirasuna that Zambian people were determined to preserve their peace, which was why she would keep on being a crusader of peace initiatives, hence her acceptance to Prevent Hate’s invitation.

While here, Mrs. Banda has visited the Jenesse Centre for Domestic Violence, a modern shelter for victims of violence where they receive comprehensive services such as job training, counseling and legal help. The first lady’s delegation has also toured the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust with the aim of creating an understanding between Zambians and the Los Angeles Jewish community.

Mrs. Banda, who arrived here last Thursday, also spent time with Zambians living in California at social evening hosted at the residence of Mr. Kalima Chimpampwe where Zambian athlete Prince Mumba was among the guests. Mrs. Banda urged the Zambians here to invest their earnings in Zambia so as to contribute to the country’s development.

And president of the Association of Zambians in California, Mwelwa Mulenga, appealed for the establishment of a consular in California, saying the state had a population of over 4,000 Zambians.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Banda yesterday attended church service at the West Angeles Cathedral at the invitation of Bishop Charles E Blake. Mrs. Banda was given time to address the congregants and in her speech, she thanked Bishop Blake for supporting African children through his charity, Save Africa’s Children.

ZANIS

Labels: BUSINESS, INVESTMENT, THANDIWE BANDA

posted by MrK @ 5:45 PM