President visits Mozambique

President visits Mozambique

Hosia Mviringi

President Emmerson Mnangagwa today April 3, 2022 embarks on a State visit to Mozambique, aimed at cementing the already cordial and friendly relations between the two Southern African nations which date back to the days of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.

The President revealed this during a speech at the memorial service for the late national hero Lt Gen. Edzai Absalom Chanyuka Chimonyo in Harare yesterday.

“This background must serve to remind most of us that the fraternal bonds between Zimbabwe and Mozambique are unbreakable and cemented by blood. As such, our country will forever stand with the people of the Republic of Mozambique, even during the present threat of terrorist insurgency in their Northern Cabo Delgado Province. Tomorrow I will be undertaking a State visit to Mozambique as we scale up our socio-economic and political relations,” said the President.

Today’s visit is a culmination of a resolution made by the leaders of the two sister nations in November 2021 to elevate the two countries’ bilateral engagement platform from a Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation to a Bi-National Commission which will see diplomatic engagement taking place between the two countries through the highest offices.

The visit this follows finalisation of preparation work at Ministerial level.

The launch of the Bi-National Commission will be accompanied by signing ceremony of a number of Memoranda of Understanding for cooperation in various fields that straddle the transport, trade, energy, security, humanitarian and many other areas still under consideration.

Zimbabwe and indeed SADC as a whole stands to benefit from cooperation in the massive transport infrastructure being undertaken by the Mozambican government from the sea ports, road and rail infrastructure and fuel pipelines.

Early this year in February, Ms Olivia Machel, daughter of Mozambique’s founding President, Samora Machel, who leads the Mozambique System for Transport, visited President Mnangagwa at State House to canvas for cooperation in the development of the US$7.8 billion Chonguene port, which is set to be a game changer to the envisaged steal boom in Zimbabwe.

This is expected to become one of the most eminent cooperative projects for the two countries as it will shorter transportation distances and reduce cost of doing business.