Lungu’s invite to Mnagagwa’s inauguration a mark of true friendship  

By Nation Reporter 

THE invitation of former President Edgar Lungu to the inauguration of Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa is a mark of confidence and the friendship which the two sister nations have cultured over time in the region, Davis Chama has observed.

Mr Chama the Patriotic Front (PF) national chairman says the invitation to former President Lungu by President Mnangagwa is also a symbol of the respect Zambia is accorded within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) regions.

Mr Chama said in an interview yesterday that while he could not speak on behalf of former President Lungu, the PF was pleased with the invitation of Zambia’s Sixth President by the Zimbabwean Government.

“The stance which Zambia’s late founding President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda took during Zimbambwe’s independence struggle is being recognized. The role Zambia played in the liberation of Zimbabwe is firm in the region and in Africa. By inviting our Sixth President (former President Lungu), Zimbabwe has merely acknowledged Zambia’s role in its liberation from colonial rule,” Mr Chama said. 

Mr Chama stated that as a party, PF felt honored and appreciated by the gesture extended to Mr Lungu to attend the inauguration of President Mnangagwa.

He stated that just as ZANU-PF stood for the emancipation of Africa, so did the PF, adding that the party which stood for Africans would not support the oppressors. 

“The PF stands for non-alignment because the former ruling party and Zambia as a country has friends in the West, East, South and all parts of the world. The PF believes in the non-alignment of any block of the geo-politics and will not align itself to any power blocks in the world,” Mr Chama who is also former Minister of Defense said.  He explained that the ZANU-PF was of the like-mind with Zambians who did not want neo-colonialism.

“No one can break the friendship between the people of Zimbabwe and Zambia. Anyone who undermines the principle of friendship between the two countries has basically declared war on what the liberators of Zambia had stood for,” Mr Chama warned.

He said the PF was happy with the confidence that had been shown in former President Edgar Lungu, explaining that his party was of the belief that Zambia could be strengthened by such alliances that had been built over the years.

He observed that the relationship between Zambia and Zimbabwe was based on strong grounds and the personal invitation to the former head of State was of interest to Zimbabweans. 

“The PF supported the victory of the ZANU-PF in Zimbabwe. I convey the party’s solidarity message to the Zimbabwean Government,” Mr Chama said.

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