Shenzhen, China — ZAMBIA is working hard to increase the rate of economic growth through the development model of China’s special economic zones, Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda has said.

He said Zambia would emulate the Chinese culture of high achievement and commitment to country.

Mr Chikwanda, who is part of President Michael Sata’s delegation on a seven-day State visit to this country, was speaking in Shenzhen during a meeting with the mayor of the city, Xu Qin at Wuzhou Guest House.

He was accompanied to the meeting by Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Emmanuel Chenda, Foreign Affairs Minister Effron Lungu, Zambia’s Ambassador to China Eva Fundafunda, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Zhou Yuxiao and other senior Government officials.

He said Zambia’s economic growth needed to be at least 10 times more than its current average of six per cent per annum.

Mr Chikwanda said Shenzen’s transformation from a fishing village with a population of slightly over 400,000 to being China’s foremost high-tech hub was inspiring to Zambia.

Zambia, he said, intended to replicate the economic transformation obtaining in China by creating economic zones in different parts of the country.

“Shenzhen with a population of about 13 million has a combined Gross Domestic Product with Hong Kong of over US$200 million, which is equivalent to that of the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. This is a magnificent achievement and a lesson we will take back home,” Mr Chikwanda said.

Some of the determining factors of China’s meteoric growth were innovation, determination, a culture of hard work, and commitment.

He said the Chinese success should be credited to its legendary Mao Tse Tung’s cultural revolution which inculcated into the Chinese people the importance of believing in themselves.

Mr Xu, after listening to Mr Chikwanda’s remarks, said he agreed with the observation that people were a country’s greatest resource.

He said the fact that Shenzhen’s population had shot up to 15 million showed its tremendous achievement was attributed to people from all over China.

Mr Xu said the development model of Shenzhen instituted 30 years ago was an inspiration to the rest of China.

He said he and the municipal officials of Shenzhen would pay close attention to Zambia’s development vision and management expertise.

Meanwhile, President Sata leaves Shenzhen for Beijing to wrap up his visit with a meeting with the Zambian community in China before attending a Zambia-China economic and trade forum.

FORMER Republican President Rupiah Banda’s son, Andrew has been found with a case to answer in a matter in which he is charged with corruption.

Chief resident magistrate Joshua Banda in his ruling yesterday said he had read all the testimonies by the nine witnesses called by the prosecution and found that the accused was facing a typical case which needed him to answer to the charges levelled against him.

Magistrate Banda said he had carefully read the testimonies of the State witnesses and the submissions from both parties and that, in his view, he considered that this was a typical case where Andrew should answer to the allegations of corruptly soliciting and agreeing to receive two per cent of all payments made to Italian business executive Antonello Locci.

“I accordingly invoke section 207 of the Criminal Procedure Code and place the accused person on his defence,” Mr Banda said in his ruling.

This is in a case in which Andrew, being a public officer as first secretary at the Zambian Embassy in Italy and later deputy high commissioner to India, solicited and agreed to receive gratification from Mr Locci amounting to two per cent of all monies paid to Frattelli Locci SRI by the Road Development Agency (RDA).

Andrew, 52, now a farmer of Chasimpa Farm in Chipata, is charged with one count of soliciting two per cent gratification amounting to K171 million on all payments made by RDA on current and future road construction projects contrary to Section 28(1) paragraph A (i) of the Anti-Corruption Act No.38 of 2010.

The magistrate said if at the close of the evidence in support of the charge it appeared to the court that a case was not made out against the accused sufficiently to require him to find a prima facie case, the court would have dismissed the case and acquitted him forthwith.

Mr Banda said in this instance, the court found sufficient evidence and that the substance of the charge needed to be explained to the accused, and that he would be informed that he had the right to give evidence on his own behalf and that he could call witnesses if he so wished.

And after the court explained his rights, Andrew’s lawyers from Milner Katolo and Associates told the court that their client would give sworn evidence and asked for time to prepare themselves.

Defence lawyer Paul Katupisha informed the court that Andrew would call nine witnesses to help him defend his matter.