STOP RACISM

IT IS xenophobic for opposition leaders and their followers to instigate the deportation of Chinese nationals by spreading falsehoods, former United Party for National Development (UPND) vice president for politics Canisius Banda has charged. He has called for a stop to the dangerous trend. And Veteran Politician and Freedom Fighter Sikota Wina has urged Zambians not to lose faith in President Edgar Lungu’s leadership because of the negative criticism by his enemies. The veteran politician also warned against attacks on the Chinese, whom he described as all-weather friends of Zambia, recalling China’s help during the colonial period. And Dr Banda also welcomed the call by the Zambia Chinese Association, vice president, Mr Wang Xin, that the activities that foreign nationals in Zambia were allowed to do or prohibited to do should be clearly stipulated by the law and that his nationals should only deal in wholesale and not retail business. He urged Zambians to be fair, in the way they hosted and treated foreign nationals. Dr Banda reiterated that Zambia should remain the sanctuary it has always been for all law abiding foreigners. He charged that it was regulation that was needed, and not the deportation of foreigners, as some xenophobic Zambians in opposition seemed to want to do. Dr Banda told the Daily Nation that Zambia needed the presence of foreigners in its midst to learn from them for its political and economic health, . “The hostile attitude that the opposition has adopted towards the Chinese is blatant xenophobia. The Chinese are strategic partners of many nation states in the world, and such interactions are, almost always, mutually beneficial. “If Zambia is NOT getting the required benefits from its interaction with China, it is NOT the Chinese to blame but ourselves. That is why we must regulate and legislate appropriately the entry, stay and behaviour of all foreigners in our country,” he said. Meanwhile, Dr Banda welcomed the call by the Zambia Chinese Association that the country should come with laws compelling foreign nationals to leave small businesses for Zambians. He however reiterated that the Chinese venturing in small businesses was a wake up came for locals to realise the opportunities laying among them. Dr Banda charged that while the foreigners were entrepreneurial and making money, Zambian were busy shouting at the government for aid. “Entrepreneurship is a challenge amongst our citizens. Financial illiteracy is rife and precludes the judicious use of whatever seed capital a Zambian will encounter. Cash flow management amongst them is like rocket science, something to only watch on TV. Dependency, and NOT self-reliance, is way too much. Yacita over!” he said. Dr Banda said that instead of only teaching young people the life cycles of frogs, butterflies and houseflies, the requisite curriculum review should be conducted and the new one should also place emphasis on teaching children the life cycle of a business or project. “Subsequently, our schools will produce graduates who create employment and NOT the current sorry situation where every graduate is looking for a job, wants to be an employee,” he said. And Mr Wina said Zambians should look at what President Lungu has achieved so far since he came into office in 2015 and also his vision for the country. He told the Daily Nation in an interview that Zambia had witnessed unprecedented development in various sectors of the economy under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu. He also noted that the President’s speech during the opening of Parliament was a clear indicator of his vision to take Zambia to greater heights of prosperity. The freedom fighter therefore cautioned Zambians against listening to falsehoods spread by President Edgar Lungu’s enemies, with intentions to make them (Zambians) lose faith in him. “Zambia is experiencing massive economic development in almost every sector of our economy under President Lungu’s Government. Therefore, Zambians must not lose their faith in President Lungu and his Government. “They know what they are doing and they know where they are taking this country, let’s exercise patience and give them chance as they work to make Zambia a better country,” he said.

They know what they are doing and they know where they are taking this country, let’s exercise patience and give them chance as they work to make Zambia a better country— Mr Wina.