Zambia's ruling party Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) has advised opposition Patriotic Front (PF) leader Michael Sata to tone down on foreign investors as his threat to chase away them is causing unnecessary shocks in the economy, Times of Zambia reported Wednesday.

MMD campaign committee secretary Mbita Chitala was quoted as saying here Tuesday that Sata should realize that his comments on the investors are eroding investor confidence as witnessed in recent weeks when Zambia is experiencing huge capital flight.

"It is unfortunate that Mr Sata does not realize the kind of damage he is causing to economy. In other countries, this is tantamount to an economic crime. Right now there is huge capital flight," Chitala said.

Chitala said an impression has been created that Zambia is becoming unstable because of what he termed as irresponsible utterances.

On a live phone-in Radio Phoenix on Tuesday Sata said he will revise the investment policy if elected in elections due to be held on Sept. 28.

Sata recently claimed that Taiwan was "a sovereign state" shortly after his return from Malawi on Aug. 24 where local media said he had met with Taiwanese businessmen to solicit funds for his presidential campaign. The PF leader even described as enemy the Chinese investors in Zambia.

Sata's remarks have drawn a wave of criticism from all levels of the Zambian society which accused him of "mortgaging the country's future for his own benefit."

Source: Xinhua