Political Reporter
Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema was forced to include Citizens Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa and second Vice President Tendai Biti as part of his entourage after the two had intended to gate-crash Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s inauguration ceremony.
According to a source in the CCC, Chamisa and Biti were ‘crash listed’ into President Hichilema’s entourage so as to avoid the duo gate-crashing the inauguration ceremony of Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane in Maseru.
“Chamisa and Biti’s attempts to book an emergency flight to South Africa (SA) enroute to Lesotho almost hit a brick wall because they did not have an invitation to the inauguration ceremony of Prime Minister Sam Matekane. Booking was only possible after Zambian President, Hichilema was forced to add the two opposition party leaders to pose as his advisors,” said the source.
The source further said President Hichilema’s entourage had to delay its flight from SA to Lesotho by close to three hours so as to allow the CCC duo to catch up with the Zambian President in South Africa.
“President Hichilema also had to delay his flight from SA to Lesotho so as to allow Chamisa and Biti to catch up with him in South Africa,” the source said.
Prime Minister Sam Matekane of the Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) was sworn in on Friday 28 October 2022 in Maseru. He becomes Lesotho’s 10th Prime Minister after his party managed to scoop 56 legislative seats out of 120 after the October 7 polls.
Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa was invited to the inauguration ceremony of the Lesotho Prime Minister but he failed to attend the event due to other pressing official engagements. The President, however, sent Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Frederick Shava to represent him.
Critics have attributed Chamisa’s behaviour to that of a desperate party leader who is under pressure to get recognition by Southern African Development Community (SADC). Since the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the whole of SADC region and African Union (AU) have castigated CCC and the United States Government for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe.
