adminPRESIDENT Edgar Lungu says Zambia’s international profile has gone down in the past three years. Speaking before leaving for Mfuwe yesterday, President Lungu said Zambians should expect him to make more international trips because he felt travelling to meet other heads of states would raise Zambia’s profile.
“Zambia’s international profile in the last three years has gone down. I think we have to up it a bit. We have to be visible to the international community so that we can attract investment and fellowship with our international colleagues. If we don’t, we will become dull because our ideas are not tested,” he said.
“So when you see me travel out of the country, it is the best that can be done. We’ve the foreign affairs minister, we’ve the ambassadors and high commissioners, but it is not every time you can delegate. A head of state also feels comfortable to deal with a fellow head of state. That way, we’ll build more.”
President Lungu said he would travel to Zimbabwe in two weeks’ time to meet the new AU chairperson, Robert Mugabe, and later to Angola for the official launch of the border post between the two countries. And President Lungu wondered why people were criticising his retreat to Mfuwe.
“I told you that I’ll have no honeymoon. There is a difference between a holiday and a retreat, I was looking at the dictionary this morning and I said, ‘do these people know?’” President Lungu said. “I’m going for a retreat, I’m not on holiday. You don’t go on holiday with the full complement of office staff. The Secretary to the Cabinet is going and some of my ministers and State House officials are not going to nurse me, but help me think through the appointments I’m making.”
He added: “I know my priorities; some cheeky fellows are saying ‘Lungu doesn’t know his priorities’. My priority is the people of Zambia. How I treat my work is not anybody’s prerogative, it is mine.”
President Lungu is accompanied by his wife Esther, PF secretary general Davis Chama, justice minister Dr Ngosa Simbyakula, and his assistant for press and public relations Amos Chanda. Vice-President Inonge Wina, finance minister Alexander Chikwanda, his home affairs counterpart Davis Mwila and defence chiefs bade farewell to President Lungu at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport.-postzambia
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