Yesterday a High Court judge heard, inter partes, the question of the stay of execution granted to me against the decision of the Minister of Home Affairs not to renew my self-employed permit. It was agreed by the respondents' attorney that the stay be extended until 30 October, 2007, at which time the judicial review will be heard, the Minister and the Chief Immigration Officer being required to give good legal reasons for their action in refusing me that which Zambia is required to honour.
That a bona fide investor, holding an Investment Certificate, and supposedly protected by the Investment Act , should be so treated is an act of bad faith and does not send out a message to would-be investors to come to Zambia and trust the actions of politicians and a heavily politicised Immigration Department. As a corporate member of Business Action for Africa, I will be making a complaint. So far the Zambia Development Agency, required to protect an investor's rights, has failed to act.
