Major news items in leading Zambian media outlets on Friday

The following are news highlights of Zambia's major media outlets on Friday.

-- Zambia' President Edgar Lungu has left for Mozambique for a two-day official visit which will culminate in the two countries inaugurating a joint power project. The Zambian leader arrived in Maputo, the Mozambican capital on Thursday and held private talks with his counterpart Filipe Nyusi. (Zambia Daily Mail)

-- Authorities in Zambia have started the registration of teachers as part of efforts aimed at regulating the teaching profession.

The Teaching Council of Zambia has urged all teachers to take part in registration exercise. The agency has started scrutinizing credentials of all teachers and that only deserving teachers will be issued with practicing licenses. (Zambia Daily Mail)

-- Zambia's Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda has expressed concern that interest rates offered by commercial banks have remained high in the country and has since challenged banks to offer simple, affordable products and services to their customers.

Commercial banks have increased interest rates on all their loan facilities with effect from March 1 in response to tightening liquidity on the financial market that has put pressure on the cost of borrowing. Interest rates have been increased to between 30 and 40 percent from between 23 and 27 percent. (Daily Nation)

-- Zambia's main opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema has ordered his supporters to immediately disengage from violent activities ahead of general elections this year.

Hichilema, leader of the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), said party supporters who will continue perpetrating violence will be handed over to the police, adding that the party wanted peace to prevail ahead of the August 11 general elections. (The Post) Endit