Zambians are hardworking and dedicated people, but their entrepreneurship skills are being limited to small businesses which are also under threat from foreign competitors, former Attorney General Musa Mwenye has observed.

Mwenye was speaking in commendation of the service he received after visiting a market restaurant in Lusaka which he said offered faster services than top class restaurants.

“Clearly, the vast majority of Zambians are not lazy. We Zambians are very hard working people who just need opportunities to thrive and achieve success in our spheres. I noticed that the waiting period for food in that market restaurant was much shorter than I have had to wait, in the top end restaurants I’ve visited. The restaurant did not have sugar free drinks but the waitress went out of her way to get that one bottle for me from a nearby shop,” stated Mwenye in a Facebook posting.

“This level of service is replicated in charcoal traders, dealers, hardware sellers and other shops where Zambians ply their trade. Sadly, even with this level of entrepreneurship, it appears that Zambian enterprise is largely limited to small businesses and even those are under threat from competition. The result is that we Zambians, actually may not own our economy. While foreign direct investment is vital and must be encouraged, local businesses are even more important to sustainable development and must be encouraged. Is there any good reason why we Zambians, cannot have policies to position our hardworking people to fully participate in every sector of the economy?”