Staff Reporter
Acknowledgement by Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema that Zimbabwe’s President, Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa was the Senior President in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region has left Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa with a rotten egg on the face.
The acknowledgement follows Chamisa’s claims that President Hichilema only recognises him as the true leader of Zimbabwe. The Zambian President’s declaration that President Mnangagwa is their premier within SADC has left Chamisa exposed.
During an address of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), United States (US) ally, President Hichilema acknowledged President Mnangagwa as the most senior and most hardworking leader in SADC.
“Our Presidents from the region, our senior President, the one who spoke first is our senior President. He is the one that is in-charge of us,” said President Hichilema while referring to President Mnangagwa.
Since February 2022, the opposition CCC has been trying to create a narrative of bad blood between President Hichilema and President Mnangagwa.
This is, however, not the first time that President Mnangagwa has received special attention from his Zambian counter-part. In August 2022, the two leaders met on the side-lines of the SADC 42nd Summit in Kinshasa to discuss amongst other issues, the setting up of the Batoka Hydro Power project to be set up on the Zambezi River.
In the same meeting, the two leaders also discussed about revamping the railway systems in Zambia, Zimbabwe, DRC and South Africa.
Political analyst, Nyasha Katerera has, however, warned opposition critics against abusing neighbouring countries’ hospitality saying that these privileges can always be withdrawn if the the host feels abused.
He also pointed out that the rejection by the majority of AU countries to give CCC audience at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2022 should also be considered as a turn around by African leaders who now believe in the Second Republic’s governance capabilities.
