President Chiluba's state-of-the-nation address sounded more like an economic bulletin rather than a true reflection of the levels of anxiety in Zambia.

The main opposition figure, Kenneth Kaunda, is under house arrest and others detained following the attempted coup of October last year say that they've been tortured.

None of those being held in prison have yet faced any charges and the international community continues to press for their release or for criminal charges to be brought.

In his address to parliament, President Chiluba said he wanted to turn Zambia into a land of business, a booming economy which would grow to be the most prosperous in Africa.

He has some achievements to show after years of reform and privatisation. The economic situation has stabilised, with lower inflation and economic growth above 5%.

But crucially, Zambia's economic wellbeing depends on donor aid - almost a third of the budget is made up of international aid. The donors are extremely uneasy about the arrest of former head of state Kenneth Kaunda, and many are reassessing their contributions to the government.