PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda has warned ministers making tribal remarks that they will face the consequences of their actions.

Commenting on calls that Science, Technology and Vocational and Training Minister Gabriel Namulambe should be relieved of his ministerial position for making tribal remarks, Mr Banda warned that ministers making such comments should realise that their actions might attract serious consequences.

Speaking to journalists at City Airport shortly after arrival from Western Province, President Banda said ministers could make such statements up to a certain extent but beyond that, they risked being disciplined.

"They can go up to a certain point but after that, they can face the consequences," Mr Banda said.

The president said it was important that ministers looked after themselves by avoiding tribal remarks considering that, Zambia was a multilingual country where various religions and races were at liberty to enjoy their inalienable freedoms.

As such, he said, it was wrong for ministers to be in the forefront in promoting tribal remarks.

"Every politician must look after himself by avoiding tribalism, it is the worst thing in the country which has different tribes, religions and people of different background," President Banda said.

Asked on whether he had spoken to any of his ministers including Mr Namulambe who had been issuing tribal remarks in the media, the president said he had just returned to Lusaka and had not spoken to anybody.

"As you know, I have just come and so I have not spoken to anybody," Mr Banda said.

And ZANIS reports that President Banda has said the Government will endeavour to construct the Mongu-Kalabo Road to ease the movement of people and tourists in Liuwa National Park and Western Province as a whole.

Mr Banda commended the people of Western Province for their responsibility towards the preservation of wildlife in the Liuwa National Park.

Addressing residents at Kalabo Airstrip before departure for Lusaka yesterday, the president said animal population in the park had remained high because the people of Western Province had taken good care of the animals.

He said the park had great potential to massively contribute to the tourism industry in the country because of its rich endowment with various species of animals.

"We are grateful that you have looked after these animals very well," he said.

He has since asked the people of Kalabo and Western Province as a whole to give the MMD Government an opportunity to re-open the area through the building of roads.

Mr Banda appealed to the people in the province to give his Government more time to complete on-going developmental projects.

"I have only been in office for only one year and we deserve more time to continue and complete the developmental projects," he said.

The president thanked the people of Western Province for supporting his Government from the time it took over the governance of the country last year amid the global economic crisis.

Meanwhile, Mr Banda has condemned politicians who are claiming Government initiated projects as their own.

He said politics of wanting to claim projects which Government initiated was not helpful and shows lack of seriousness.

The president was responding to claims by some opposition members of Parliament that they had provided the Limulunga-Libonda Pontoon to the people of Western Province.

Mr Banda said to the contrary, the pontoon was provided by the Ministry of Communications and Transport.

Earlier, Western Province Minister Mwapela Sikwibele thanked the president for visiting the people of Western Province.