Lungu meets President

Harare Bureau
ZAMBIAN President Edgar Lungu was in Harare yesterday for a one-day official visit, his first to Zimbabwe since winning elections last month, and held talks on various issues with President Robert Mugabe at State House.

Speaking soon after a closed door meeting between the two leaders, President Lungu said he had come to seek wise counsel from an elder statesman.

“President Mugabe is the most senior in the region,” he said. “So, you seek wisdom from the elders, don’t you?”

The Zambian leader arrived at Harare International Airport, aboard the Presidential Challenger Jet at 10AM. He was met by Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Zambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba.

He was accompanied by his Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda and his Special Assistant for Political Affairs Kaizer Zulu.

Kalaba said President Lungu’s visit was crucial in cementing the strong relations that exist between the two countries.

“Zimbabwe and Zambia are like Siamese twins and so it is always good, and as you know our President was recently elected and he came to pay a courtesy call to his elder brother to understand how the Sadc region operates and how we need to operate together as one people,” said Kalaba.

He said the two leaders discussed the need for increased bilateral trade.

“Zambia and Zimbabwe are closely knit, so we find it important that we need to trade more than we’re doing,” said Kalaba. “The two Presidents have agreed on that.”

President Lungu of the Patriotic Front was elected last month in a by-election to replace Michael Sata who died in October last year.

He had been to Zimbabwe to consult with President Mugabe two months before the elections which he eventually won.

He polled 48,3 percent votes, beating his rival Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development who got 46,7 percent.

President Lungu, who headed both the Justice and Defence Ministries in the previous government, will serve the reminder of Sata’s term until new elections are held next year.