UPDATED: President welcomed in Kigali

Herald Reporter
PRESIDENTIAL spokesman Mr George Charamba yesterday dismissed social media claims that President Mnangagwa had been barred from attending the African Union Extraordinary Summit sessions in Kigali, Rwanda as “absolute nonsense” saying the President had not only been doubly commended ahead of the Summit, but also attended a business forum that preceded the Summit.

“The claim that VaMnangagwa has not been welcomed by the AU is balderdash, absolute balderdash. In the first place AU sessions have not started they are only starting tomorrow (today), what we have are preliminaries to that session,” Mr Charamba said.

Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, who also attended the business forum yesterday, doubly commended President Mnangagwa for managing a peaceful transition in Zimbabwe in the wake of the resignation of Mr Robert Mugabe on November 21 last year and also for quickly responding to the call for the launch of the Africa Continental Free Trade (AfCFTA).

“He has been doubly congratulated by (Olusegun) Obasanjo on two counts: One, for managing a peaceful transition which has made the continent proud, and I am quoting ‘for managing a peaceful transition which has made the continent proud’ and Obasanjo adds ‘please keep the continent going’.

“Secondly for so quickly responding to the launch of the Continental Free Trade area,” Mr Charamba added.

President Mnangagwa will tomorrow join fellow heads of state and government at the Kigali Convention Centre to sign the AfCFTA, an agreement crafted to enhance intra-African trade and make the continent the largest free trade area since the advent of the World Trade Organisation 23 years ago.