Zimbabwe indebted to Malawi: President Mnangagwa
2 min readBy Margaret Kamba
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has expressed Zimbabwe’s gratitude to the people of Malawi for their support in this country’s quest for independence.
Speaking during his State Visit to Malawi this Wednesday, ZANU PF’s First Secretary and President Cde Mnangagwa paid tribute to the determination by Malawi’s nationalists to resist colonialism thereby arousing in Zimbabwe’s own people the hope that they could also be free.
“It is a great honour and priviledge to be invited to pay a State Visit to your beautiful country, Malawi. Allow me to thank you most sincerely for the warm welcome and hospitality you have accorded us since our arrival in this great city, Lilongwe,” President Mnangagwa said.
“I wish to note, with satisfaction that our two countries have enjoyed excellent relations since Zimbabwe attained Independence in 1980. It was through the determination of nationalists such as the founding President of the Republic of Malawi Hastings Kamuzu Banda that inspired a generation of freedom fighters in my country to take up arms and fight for freedom and independence.
“I recall with fond memorial that in 1964, Malawi, under the Malawi Congress Party, was one of the first countries to donate to our cause, as liberation movements in Zimbabwe. This was in the form of a Land Rover vehicle and other material support.
“Your independence in 1964 therefore, was a major turning point for the rest of the African continent as it energized our liberation fighters as well. It inculcated in us a sense of enormous hope and self-belief that we too could be masters of our own destiny. We therefore, feel truly indebted to the nationalists of Malawi and many other parts of the African continent for taking the lead in resisting colonial oppression and subjugation.”
President Mnangagwa also took time to encourage his counterpart, Malawian President, His Excellency, Dr Lazarus Chakwera to continue working together for the quest of a better Africa and the attainment of Vision 2063 to “Build the Africa we want”.
He commended companies from both countries for the continued participation in trade fairs in both countries,saying this would improve investment cooperation.
He took time to mourn the victims of Cyclone Freddy who were lost in March this year and encouraged close cooperation between the two countries in order to ensure food security and avate the adverse impacts of natural disasters by using science and technology.