The IMF boss made the warning Thursday  when he met Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane.

Strauss-Kahn who arrived in the country on Wednesday said he did not, “in principle … see any kind of problem in receiving investment from China.”

But added that “But these kind of deals should be beneficial.”

Chinese investment in Zambia to date stands at about 1 billion US dollars, making it by far the biggest investor.

MMD elections chairperson, Mike Mulongoti told QFM in an interview that the people of Mufumbwe are in a better position to state who they want to vote for as their new Member of Parliament and not the UPND leader.
Mr. Mulongoti who is also works and supply minister stated that the ruling party will not stand idle and watch while the UPND grabs the Mufumbwe seat from party.
He said MMD will put up a spirited fight to ensure that it retains the Munfumbwe parliamentary seat.
He said UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema should not get too excited and optimistic of scooping the Mufumbwe seat.
Mr Mulongoti said the MMD is still the most popular party in the country and has the capability to retain all the vacant parliamentary seats.
The Mufumbwe parliamentary seat fell vacant after the death of MMD Member of Parliament Misheck Bonshe.

Mr Sata said in an interview on Tuesday that Dr Mwanawasa thought he (Mr Sata) had already died and the decision to send him for treatment would have been a mere formality.

He claimed that Dr Mwanawasa was trying to play public relations so that people could think his Government had flown Mr Sata for treatment when he had already died.

Mr Sata was reacting to former National Energy Sector and Allied Workers Union (NESAWU) General Secretary Yotam Mtayachalo who accused the PF leader of being hypocritical for saying Dr Mwanawasa had wanted him to die in jail.

Mr Mtayachalo said the PF leader was being ungrateful for accusing Dr Mwanawasa of wanting him to die in jail when he had saved his life by sending him to South Africa for treatment.

Mr Mtayachalo said in Ndola on Tuesday that it was unfortunate that Mr Sata who was full of praises for Dr Mwanawasa after having his life saved by being evacuated to South Africa for treatment, could now insinuate that the late president wanted him to die in jail when he was incarcerated over the case involving a motor vehicle.

Mr Mtayachalo said it was hypocritical for Mr Sata to accuse the late president of wanting him to die in prison when the PF leader had been on record praising Dr Mwanawasa for having served his life.

He said Mr Sata’s inconsistent statements were making it difficult for Zambians to be convinced that he would make a good leader if elected president.

Mr Sata was on Tuesday quoted in The Post newspaper as having said Dr Mwanawasa would have arrested him if he was corrupt when he was in Government but further went on to say the late president wanted him to die in prison but could not succeed.

“The biggest problem with Mr Sata is his high level of inconsistency. If you look at his statement, he is saying Dr Mwanawasa would have arrested him if he was corrupt when he was in Government and the same Mr Sata is saying Dr Mwanawasa wanted him to die in jail, what then was he doing in jail? Why was he arrested and put in jail during
Dr Mwanawasa’s reign? One cannot go to jail and at the same time claim that he is too clean,” he said.

Mr Mtayachalo said it was now clear that Mr Sata was panicking as evidenced by the various unclear statements he was issuing with the aim of clearing his image by featuring on various radio stations since several allegations against him were exposed.

But Mr Sata said Dr Mwanawasa ignorantly saved his life because he was told that the PF leader was actually already dead.

“Yes Mwanawasa saved my life ignorantly because he was told that I was already dead and he was told by some people that I would actually not even survive the flight to South Africa. Dr Mwanawasa just wanted to play public relations.

“You see even my priest, Father Chilinda also came to Care for Business Hospital where I was admitted with the aim of administering the last olive oil on me because he was also told that I was already dead but I told him that I was not going to die,” Mr Sata said.

He claimed that even Dr Mwanawasa himself confirmed to him that he was told that the PF leader was actually already died. “What I am saying is the truth. There is nothing I can lie against the dead. How many times did Dr Mwanawasa send me to jail?” he said,

Soures Times of Zambia

The Milanzi parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of area Member of Parliament Rueben Chisanga Banda last month.

Speaking in an intwerview in Lusaka,AVAP Executive Director, Bonnie Tembo said political parties should allow the locals to choose who they want to represent them in parliament.

Tembo said past events have shown the nation that imposture of candidates on the electorate is detrimental.

The AVAP Executive Director further warned aspirants of the by elections who would want to use bribes to desist from doing so as they would be exposed by his organization

PROFIT FOR OWNERS

But at the headquarters in Lusaka, Zanaco said Wednesday it expects business to continue to grow after posting a rise in 2009 profit as economic conditions started to improve.

Zanaco, part-owned and managed by Netherlands’ Rabobank RABO.UL, said on Wednesday profit before tax rose 46 percent to 126 billion Zambian kwacha ($27.3 million) in 2009 from 86 billion kwacha in 2008.

“We expect a gradual improvement in the performance of the Zambian economy due to lower interest rates, lower inflation, high commodity prices and a firm kwacha, while remaining mindful of risk environment,” Zanaco said.

“The focus of the bank will be on further improving the customer service and sales which should contribute to higher deposit growth rates and stronger non-interest income from transaction products.”

The bank said the marginal increase in total assets, which climbed to 3 trillion kwacha from 2.9 trillion, highlighted the effects of the global economic slowdown on the banking sector in Africa’s largest copper producer.

He said it is the voters that will take out the ruling party.
He further said he would not apologize to President Rupiah Banda and the Chinese Government over his remarks about the president’s visit to China.

Reacting to chief government spokesperson Lieutenant General Ronnie Shikapwasha’s statement that he was ignorant in his observation over the weekend that President Rupiah Banda went to China on a tourism stint, Kabimba maintained that President Banda had not shown responsibility over his recent trip to China.

“My statement had everything to do with the fact that at the time when this country is beset by heavy floods and the people of Zambia are dying and there is no food, there was a story yesterday Monday in the government daily, not even in The Post, that Luangwa district has no food, at the time when the people of Zambia are losing shelter because the houses are collapsing, Mr Rupiah Banda decided to go on that State visit,” Kabimba said.

“It could not have made any difference if Mr Rupiah Banda had been a responsible person to have postponed that trip until he has attended to his domestic problems as a responsible person.”
Full story here: http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=6851

Mr Sata has also applied for an interim injunction to restrain the newspaper and its servants or agents from publishing any defamatory words concerning him.

Mr Sata’s lawyers from Ituna Partners have also filed a certificate of urgency claiming that the matter was of extreme urgency and required expeditious determination as the Times of Zambia had allegedly continued to write, publish and print defamatory articles concerning Mr Sata.

In an affidavit in support of an interim injunction, Mr Sata stated the Times of Zambia published articles concerning him in the editions of February 22, 23, 24 and 25 this year.

He indicated that the articles titled some ‘Sata leads polygamous life’, ‘Forget about presidency’, Sata told, ‘Sata is not credible’- Mumbi, Chimumbwa.
He stated that the articles were allegedly defamatory.

“The words in the said articles in their ordinary and natural meaning meant and were understood to mean that I am not a law abiding citizen, I have a criminal record, I am not a sincere Christian, I do not abide by the rules and teachings of the Catholic Church, and I am a dishonest person with no integrity,” Mr Sata claimed.

Mr Sata said he was a staunch Christian in the Catholic Church which did not allow people leading polygamous or polyandrous lives to receive Holy Eucharist.

That he was a politician and alleged repetition of false imputation of a criminal character would only lower his estimation in the minds of voters.

He stated that unless the defendant was restrained by law of a court order from repeating the publication of defamatory matters, he was likely to suffer irreparable injury as his political ambitions and standing in the Catholic Church could not be atoned for by damages.

Mr Sata was claiming for aggravated or exemplary damages, an injunction restraining the defendant from further writing, printing or circulating or otherwise publishing of the plaintiff the said or any similar libel.

High Court judge handling the matter, Evans Hamaundu has set March 15 as the hearing date.