Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Africans are biggest threat to their economies - Chikonde
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Sun 22 Sep. 2013, 14:00 CAT

ZAMBIA'S High Commissioner to South Africa Muyeba Chikonde says the biggest threat to African economies at the moment are Africans themselves.

And Zambeef managing director Francis Grogan and National Bank of Commerce (Tanzania) managing director Mizinga Melu won the business leader of the year and business woman of the year awards respectively, subsequently qualifying for the finale in which winners from the Western, Eastern and Southern African rounds will vie for the ultimate title of Africa's most iconic businessperson in their respective fields in Durban, in November.

Delivering a keynote speech at the prestigious All Africa Business Awards (AABLA) awards sponsored by Johnnie Walker Blue LABEL and organised by CNBC Africa at Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday, High Commissioner Chikonde said Africa's prosperity lay with Africans themselves and must transcend conventionalism.

He wondered why it was easy for goods and services to move freely across borders in Europe, while goods in between African countries continued to be marooned for days at the entry points, making life difficult for average cross-border traders.

"In the face of these unanswered questions, we continue to stifle the entrepreneurial initiatives of our people," High Commissioner Chikonde said in a statement by first secretary for press at Zambia's High Commission in South Africa Patson Chilemba. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the biggest threat to our economies right now is ourselves. We are enemies of ourselves."

He said African countries must prioritise the development and institutionalisation of business initiatives at grassroots level by formalising the informal sector.

"Interrogating conventional development norms means that we need to focus more on how many lives have been improved rather than how many jobs have been created. We need to direct our statistics to knowing how many people have improved their housing and living conditions rather than how many houses have been built," High Commissioner Chikonde said.
"Equally, we need to focus on how many local businesses have succeeded rather than how many have been registered."

He said governments needed to take the lead in this paradigm shift without abandoning the numerous traditional roles played, among them to ensure fair competition, develop appropriate regulations and incentives to guarantee a strong private sector and private initiative.

High Commissioner Chikonde noted with excitement that four of the nine nominees in the various categories on contest were Zambians, saying the achievement pointed to the efforts President Michael Sata's government was making in providing appropriate policies for business to flourish.

He called on the other Pan-Africanists to take advantage of the continent's rich resources, with a renewed vision that fosters economic integration and unity in purpose.

"Africa has defied and outfought the unfortunate complex previously placed on it as a Dark Continent. It is our time; let us make the best out of it while it lasts," said High Commission Chikonde amid applause from the elegant audience.

He commended ABN, which is a parent company of CNBC, Forbes, for establishing the AABLA Award, recognising the diversity that characterises and strengthens Pan-African business.

During the ceremony, Zambia's Francis Grogan won the business leaders award, overcoming the challenge from First National Bank CEO Michael Jordan and Sasfin CEO Roland Sassoon, while Melu piped owner of Sylvia Food Solutions Limited (Zambia) Sylvia Banda for the business woman of the year award.

South Africa's Rob Stokes, CEO of Quirk overcame Zambia's Pangea Holdings CEO Ceaser Siwale, in the young business leader of the year award.

Chilemba stated that veteran South African businessman and freedom fighter Richard Maponya won the Life Time Achievement Award for establishing a business empire under a very difficult Apartheid regime.
Speaking after the awards, Melu said the nomination of several Zambians showed that the country's nationals were rising to the challenge by taking advantage of the opportunities provided to them.

She said the government should prioritise the SMEs because they were potential growth points.

And Banda called for exposure of local businessmen to international exhibitions.


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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Zambeef burns imported meat
By Mwala Kalaluka in Chisamba
Thu 25 July 2013, 14:01 CAT

ZAMBEEF yesterday burnt all its imported beef products following the government's findings that some of them contained aromatic aldehyde.

And Zambia National Farmers Union president Jervis Zimba described yesterday as a sad day for Zambeef but that the company management had learnt their lesson.

Meanwhile, the government has commended Zambeef for destroying the contaminated meat. In his opening remarks, Zambeef public relations manager Justo Kopulande explained that the burning conducted at its Chisamba Huntley Farm around mid-day was simple and straightforward.

"We can just say that events of the last three months have brought us together and our programme is very simple and straightforward," he said. "We will move from the high table. We will move across to what we have prepared to torch over there."
Zambeef board chairperson Dr Jacob Mwanza said following the events of the last month the company had taken a clear and unequivocal decision to return to its roots and deal exclusively in Zambian beef products only.
"I would like to make it clear that the products that we are going to destroy this afternoon represent those products which have been fully approved by the Ministry of Health," he said. "We are drawing a line; a very clear distinctive line between what we have been doing in the past and what we are going to do in future. We are going to stop all imports to ensure that we focus our business on purely Zambian beef."

Dr Mwanza said the disposal of all imported beef products was done in consultation with the Ministry of Health and that it has been done to give the Zambian public the company's unwavering commitment to selling locally-bred and produced beef.

"Since June 20, 2013 and from this day forward, only Zambian beef products will be on offer in our outlets," Dr Mwanza said. "We thank the Ministry of Health for their guidance and advice on this matter."
Asked about the exact quantity of imported beef products that were going to be torched, Dr Mwanza said he could not expressly indicate the quantity because some of the seized products were still with the Ministry of Health.

"They haven't given us the details yet but it should be a very small proportion," he said. "We have a job to do and we have a company to run."

Dr Mwanza said there was need for foreclosure on the matter so that Zambeef continues its contribution to the growth of the agriculture sector and the Zambian economy.

And Zimba said he was forced to forego the long speech that he should have delivered at the event because he had realised that it was a sad day for Zambeef.

"I would like to congratulate Zambeef for taking a very bold decision to voluntarily destroy all imported meat products," Zimba said. "What has happened in the last one month should be put behind us and I would like to appeal to consumers to trust Zambeef as all the beef and meat products currently in retail shops is 100 per cent local."

He said it was a trying moment for the company that employs over 5, 000 people.

"I would also urge you to put this behind you as management as some lessons have been learnt," said Zimba.

Zambeef chief executive officer Francis Grogan pledged the company would maintain its 100 per cent Zambian brand.

"Zambeef is 100 per cent committed to Zambia," said Grogan.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Health spokesperson Dr Kamoto Mbewe said the enforcement of the Public Health and Food and Drug laws was not meant to persecute traders but to safeguard public health.

He said the ministry was delighted to be part of the process where Zambeef was complying with the law.

"We thank Zambeef for having complied with the law," said Dr Mbewe.
Following the speeches, Kopulande directed the gathering to an open ground where a pile of firewood was heaped with boxes of offals and kidneys placed below the stack.

"At this time we are going to stand down from the high table and take a short walk across to where we will be torching…the chairman and Dr Kamoto Mbewe are going to torch the products. We are torching, there we go," said Kopulande as the stack of firewood got engulfed by flames and the gathering headed towards some tables where there was roasted beef and salads.

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posted by MrK @ 4:25 PM 0 Comments