The visiting Zimbabwe President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa took the opportunity of his speech at the state banquet on Wednesday to recall the role Malawi played when his country was going through a self-determination struggle against colonial powers.
Mnangagwa singled out founding President Kamuzu Banda as one icon who inspired a generation of freedom fighters in Zimbabwe to fight for their independence.
He disclosed that Malawi Congress Party, also a ruling party in the 60s, donated to the Zimbabwe independence agitators a LandRover for operations.
On modern geopolitical landscape, the Zimbabwe leader also extended gratitude to Malawi for joining the chorus against ‘illegal’ sanctions against Harare since the early 2000s when late Robert Mugabe was in power.
President Chakwera has since 2020 been a strong advocate against the Zimbabwe sanctions which have affected the country’s economic potential.
Speaking earlier, President Chakwera thanked the government and people of Zimbabwe for their relief efforts towards Malawians affected by Cyclone Freddy early this year.
Zimbabwe was one of the first responders to provide relief to victims with 10,000 metric tonnes.
Chakwera drew strong parallels between Zimbabwe and Malawi saying both countries have been weighed down by unplanned inconveniences; Cyclone Freddy for Malawi and economic sanctions for Zimbabwe.
Said the President
“And I can assure you all that we are both determined to forge ahead with our cooperation even in challenging times such as the sanctions that were imposed on the Republic of Zimbabwe, whose lifting we have openly and relentlessly called for at various fora, as well as the climate change disasters that have hit Malawi in recent times.
No matter what each of our nations face, we are determined to stand together and to fight for each other, because standing together no matter what is what you do with family.”
