Acting President Mnangagwa meets special envoy

Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa welcomes Equatorial Guinea envoy Juan Antonio Bibang Nchuchuma, who is also that country’s Minister of External Security, at New Government Complex in Harare yesterday

Herald Reporter
Acting President Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday received a special message from President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea on behalf of President Mugabe.

The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces is on his official leave.

The special message was delivered to Cde Mnangagwa at his New Government Complex Offices by Ambassador Juan Antonio Bibang Nchuchuma, who is also the Equatorial Guinea Minister of External Security.

Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting with Cde Mnangagwa, Ambassador Nchuchuma said Harare and Malabo enjoyed cordial relations and as such, President Mbasogo decided to send a special message to his counterpart in the New Year.

“I came as a Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea His Excellency Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, to deliver a message to His Excellency President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe,” he said.

“I delivered the message to the Acting President. The main issue of the message is that Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea have a good relationship and this is the New Year, so normally, the President sends a message of hope to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and then to exchange our co-operation. That is the main objective of my visit here.”

Ambassador Nuchuchuma said it was important this year to scale up relations between the two countries on all frontiers.

He said it was important that the Joint Permanent Commission between the two countries meets earlier this year to explore new areas for further co-operation.

“Normally, we must expect more things,” he said. “The Joint Commission between Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe is there to make follow-ups of the relations between the two countries.

“I think our Minister of Foreign Affairs is busy working for an earlier meeting of the Joint Commission between Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea so that they can go into details and what areas we must emphasise more,” he said.