Maravi

(TIMES) RB re-affirms Zambia, Malawi ties

RB re-affirms Zambia, Malawi ties
By Betniko Kayaya

‘LOVE thy neighbour as you love yourself.’ This Biblical saying seems to be the motivating factor behind President Rupiah Banda’s on-going visits to cement relations with neighbouring countries as he settles down as the newest head of State in the region.

The President who has been in office for about four months now after winning the October 30, 2008, presidential by-election, recently visited Zambia’s eastern neighbour Malawi to exchange notes with his counterpart Dr Bingu Wa Mutharika on various issues of mutual interest.

Earlier, he had been to Angola and Tanzania on similar missions.

Geography

Malawi, like Zambia, is a landlocked country located in southern-central Africa along the western side of part of the Great Rift Valley of Africa.

Covering a total of 118,484 square kilometers, the country stretches some 900 kilometres north to south and between 90 and 161 kilometres east to west.
It is bordered by Tanzania to the north and north-east, Mozambique to the east, south and south-west and Zambia to the west.

The country is divided into three regions (provinces), namely Southern Region which is densely populated, the Central Region which consists of fertile soils and is equally populated, and the mountainous and sparsely populated Northern Region.

Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa spanning a length of 568km and a width of between 16 and 80km.
It is the dominant feature of this former British colony covering one fifth of the country’s entire surface area.

People and History
Malawi has a population of 12.8 million people with the main ethnic groups being the Chewa, Tumbuka, Yao and Ngoni.

English is the official and business language in Malawi while Chichewa is the national language and is widely spoken throughout the country.

Historically, the name Malawi is thought to be derived from the word ‘Maravi’, a dynasty founded by the Amaravi people in the late 15th century who eventually became known as the Chewa when they migrated to Malawi from the modern day Democratic Republic of Congo.

The country became independent on July 6, 1964 after a successful freedom struggle against colonial rule led by United States trained medical doctor the late Hastings Kamuzu Banda who later became life president until 1994 when multi-party democracy was reintroduced in Malawi and Dr Banda lost the resultant elections to Bakili Muluzi.

Economy Agriculture has long been the mainstay of Malawi’s economy accounting for the bulk of the country’s foreign exchange earnings through the export of tobacco, tea and sugar, among other cash crops. Mining, fisheries and tourism are equally a dominant economic activity in the country.

Visit
Zambia’s high commissioner to Malawi, Mweemba Joshua Simuyandi, speaking ahead of president Banda’s arrival, described the visit as a milestone in further strengthening the warm relations between the two sister republics.

Simuyandi said Malawi has been an all-weather friend of Zambia as evidenced by multiple exchange of visits at presidential, ministerial and technical levels that have been ongoing between the two countries.

“As you may recall, president Mutharika has made several visits to Zambia in the recent past.

For example, he attended all the SADC meetings chaired by late president Mwanawasa including the extra-ordinary summit which was held in Lusaka on the political stalemate in Zimbabwe following that country’s disputed election,” said high commissioner Simuyandi.

The high commissioner added that president Mutharika also attended the Kulamba traditional ceremony of the Chewa people of Katete in August, 2007 along with his Mozambican counterpart Armando Guebuza and host president late Levy Mwanawasa.

President Mutharika with the late Mwanawasa, also jointly commissioned the connection of Chama district to the Malawi national power grid which ended years of inadequate and erratic thermal power generation and supply in the district.

The Malawian leader was also guest of honour at Zambia’s 44th independence anniversary in October, 2007.

When president Mwanawasa died on August 19, 2008, president Mutharika assigned officers from his government to help with state funeral arrangements and led the biggest presidential delegation of eight ministers to the burial ceremony.

At ministerial and technical levels, there has also been several exchange of visits aimed at strengthening cooperation in various sectors of the two countries.

Notable among these are technocrats from the ministry of agriculture and the main Zambia-Malawi Joint Permanent Cooperation who have been meeting from time to time to share ideas on a variety of issues of mutual interest.

“From these exchanges, one will agree that indeed Zambia and Malawi enjoy warm brotherly relations which President Rupiah Banda is coming to appreciate and strengthen further,’ said high commissioner Simuyandi.

He added: “This visit is significant in the sense that president Rupiah Banda has just been elected president in the region.

So, he is paying courtesy calls on his counterparts to exchange notes on a wide range of issues.

Apart from that, it is a reciprocal visit in the case of Malawi as president Mutharika has had a lot of connection and support for Zambia for which we are most grateful.”

On the economic front, high commissioner Simuyandi noted that Zambia and Malawi are cooperating well in various developmental projects such as the ongoing construction of the Mchinji-Chipata railway line, the upcoming Shire-Zambezi water way project and the Mtwara corridor aimed at enhancing the movement of people, goods and services not only between the two countries but the region at large.

He also said the two countries are making steady progress in the demarcation of their 800km international border line with 200km having been demarcated so far.

When he arrived at Kamuzu international airport on the afternoon of Wednesday, February, 2009, president Banda was treated to a thunderous welcome by scores of Malawians, cabinet and deputy ministers and members of diplomatic corps led by host president Ngwazi Dr Bingu Wa Mutharika.

Against a backdrop of song and dance by ecstatic traditional groups who included Zambian nationals resident in that country, president Mutharika escorted his guest to the saluting dais for the national anthems of the two countries after which president Banda inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by the Malawi Defence Force.

President Banda told journalists that he was happy to visit Malawi to further strengthen the warm and excellent relations that have existed between the two countries for time immemorial.

“I’m very happy to be here. As you know, Zambians and Malawians are one people as we share a lot in common. It is my ambition that the warm relations between our two countries are maintained and continue to grow from strength to strength,” said president Banda.

From the airport, President Banda, in the company of his host Bingu Wa Mutharika, headed for Lilongwe Civic centre where he was accorded the Honorary Freedom of the City of Lilongwe, in accordance with Section 109 of the Malawi Local government Act of 1998.

Like the reception at Kamuzu international airport, scores of enthusiastic Malawians were on hand to give president Banda a rousing welcome as he arrived at the civic centre.
President Banda in accepting the honour which was conferred on him by acting chief executive of the Lilongwe City Assembly Vitto Mulula, said Lilongwe was one of his favourite cities in Africa with beautiful gardens and restaurants.

The city had been his regular destination with his family for nearly a decade when he lived at his farm in Chipata before he moved to Lusaka when the late president Mwanawasa appointed him republican vice president.

“I thank you for giving me this great honour of the freedom of the city of Lilongwe. This is one of my favourite cities in Africa which I have visited many times with my family,” president Banda said.

Mr Mulula then presented president Banda a key with which, symbolically, he would be able to open the doors and gates of Lilongwe as a free man of the city.

But more importantly, President Banda would use the ‘key’ to open more avenues of cooperation and collaboration with Malawi for the benefit of the two sister republics.

Zambia’s list of exports should perhaps, now include skilled manpower, a result of continued investment in the education sector over the years.

In Malawi, like many other countries in the region and beyond, a number of Zambians are working there as experts in various national and international organizations including that country’s government ministries.

A meeting with these Zambians, to update them on events back home, was one of president Banda’s priorities soon after arrival in Lilongwe.

“Economically, the situation back home is not as good as it should be due to the global economic crisis which has affected the price of our primary commodity copper on the world market.

However, as Government we are trying our best to find alternative ways of moving the country forward as it has become evident that we cannot rely on copper anymore.

We need to diversify the economy to other sectors such as tourism and agriculture if we are to survive in the long term,” said President Banda.

The president urged Zambians working abroad to contribute to the development of their motherland by investing back home saying the country had yawning potential in tourism, agriculture and other sectors which could help turn the country’s economic fortunes around.

Next on president Banda’s programme was the State Banquet hosted in his honour by president Mutharika at the New State House.
The function which was held in a giant marquee pitched in the grounds of the New State House, was characterized by entertainment from some of Malawi’s leading musical and traditional artists.

In his welcoming remarks, president Mutharika said president Banda’s visit to Malawi a few months after he was elected to the high office of president of Zambia, was a clear manifestation of his desire and commitment to maintain the existing strong relations between the two countries.

The Malawian leader noted with delight, that relations between Zambia and his country have further been strengthened through the Malawi/Zambia Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation upon which platform the two countries continue to cooperate in many areas ranging from economic, social, cultural to development, defence and security.

President Mutharika cited among others, the Malawi-Zambia Trans-frontier Conservation Area, the electricity inter-connectivity in Zambia’s Chama district of Eastern province, and the ongoing demarcation project, as some of the landmark areas of cooperation between the two countries.

“I’m pleased that the border demarcation exercise is going on well. More than 100 beacons have been erected so far and this work is expected to be completed by November, 2010,” said Mutharika.

President Banda called for continued peace and unity between Zambia and Malawi in accelerating social and economic development.

Of particular and prime importance, is the need for the two countries to work together in developing the agriculture sector as an alternative and sustainable means of cushioning their economies against the prevailing global economic recession.

To this effect, president Banda said he would soon send his agriculture minister to Malawi to learn how that country has succeeded in its agriculture input subsidy programme the equivalent of Zambia’s fertiliser support programme aimed at boosting food production.

He said there is need for peace and unity to continue prevailing in the two countries so that people from all over the world can know that Zambia and Malawi are ideal destinations for investment.

“I am here Mr president, so that together we can find ways of tackling the many challenges that confront the people of our two countries, said president Banda.

Born on May 14, 1898, the late Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda led Malawi to independence in 1964 a result of a successful struggle against colonial rule.

He died on November 25, 1997, after nearly 30 years in power as life president and is buried in a mausoleum in the centre of Lilongwe.

It is a grand facility built by the Malawian government in honour of a man who gave up the comforts of his prestigious job, as a medical doctor abroad, to come back home and free his people from the yoke of colonialism.

A visit to the Mausoleum was the main item on president Banda’s agenda on his second and final day in Malawi.

Led by Malawian government officials and service chiefs, president Banda laid a wreath on late Kamuzu Banda’s grave and signed a Visitor’s Book.

His visit to the Mausoleum was not only significant, but also educative as government considers putting up a similar facility on late president Mwanawasa’s grave at Embassy Park in Lusaka.

“Malawi has set a good example on how to honour its fallen heroes. I have learnt a lot of lessons from my visit to the mausoleum worth emulating back home,” remarked President Banda.

Later at a joint news conference to wrap up his two day official visit to Malawi, president Banda said he and his counterpart Bingu Wa Mutharika agreed on a wide range of issues needing urgent attention for the benefit of the two countries.

President Banda explained that priority will be given to infrastructure development such as roads, telecommunications and electricity which they emphasized should be achieved as soon as possible in the quest to improve the living standards of the people of the two countries.

He said concerned technocrats and ministers would have to work hard in translating the resolutions by the two heads of state into tangible benefits for the two neighbouring states.

The two presidents also stressed the need for Zambia and Malawi to grow more food so that they feed each other in times of poor harvest.

As President Banda bade farewell to fly back home, it was clear that his visit showed, once again, that in Malawi, like her other neighbours, Zambia has a good friend and partner who can be relied upon, in rain and sunshine.

Labels: MALAWI, RUPIAH BANDA

posted by MrK @ 10:18 AM