August 2011 - Vol 36, National News
ZANU PF invites Zambia’s Sata to its conference
(Harare)President Robert Mugabe ZANU PF party is to extend a special invitation to Zambia’s newly elected president Michael Sata to the party’s upcoming national congress to be held in December.
Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa said President Sata would be invited to attend the conference.
“President Sata’s Patriotic Front has won Zambian elections and we are going to invite them to the conference,” he was quoted by the state owned Herald newspaper.
Mutasa said Zanu-PF had good relations with President Sata who defeated Mr Rupiah Banda in recent polls.
Last year, Zanu-PF held its conference in Mutare and the conference resolved to forge ahead with the controversial indigenisation and economic empowerment programme.
Government has recently gazetted controversial ownership regulations which are a direct consequence of the party’s conference last year.
Several foreign companies have already submitted plans on how they intend to comply with the regulations.
The indigenisation policy compels all foreign companies with a minimum capitalisation of US$500 000 to cede 51 percent of their shareholding to locals.
Addressing the Zanu-PF Central Committee meeting last week, Mugabe congratulated President Sata and said Zanu-PF respected the will of the Zambians and recognised their position.
