•President Edgar Lungu (right) talks to his Mozambican counterpart Filipe Jacinto Nyusi (left) after the official reception hosted at the presidential palace in Maputo recently. Picture by SALIM HENRY

By BRIAN HATYOKA-

ZAMBIA and Mozambique have continued to share warm and cordial relations for many years now.
Like Zambia, Mozambique has 10 provinces and also shares a border of about 300 Kilometres  with Zambia.
Further, Mozambique has a multi-party system and the major political
parties are, namely, the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) and Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM).
On the economic landscape, Mozambique is richly endowed with natural resources such as huge coal reserves, hydroelectric capacity and abundant natural gas reserves.
Mozambique also has a coastline of approximately 2,500km stretch which possess vast maritime resources.
The country’s strategic location near the Ocean makes it a hub for regional and international markets.
On June 24 2015, President Jacinto Nyusi led thousands of Mozambique citizens and other foreign dignitaries in celebrating that country’s 40th independence anniversary.
The ceremony, which was held under the theme: Independence under the theme ‘Consolidating National Unity, Peace and Progress’, was preceded by the laying of wreaths at the national monument to the Mozambican Heroes.
Zambia’s Republican President Edgar Lungu, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and several former Presidents joined Mr Nyusi in laying wreaths at the monument during a colourful ceremony.
Later, the 40th independence celebrations moved  to Machava Stadium which was fully packed with thousands of people.
Heads of State who attended the celebrations at the stadium were President Lungu, President Mugabe, President Nyusi, Tanzanian
President Jakaya Kikwete and Namibian President Hage Geingob.
The former Presidents included Kenneth Kaunda, Joaquim Chissano (Mozambique), Benjamin Mkapa (Tanzania), Hifikepunye Pohamba (Namibia), Amarndo Guebuza (Mozambique), Festus Mogae (Botswana).
There was jubilation and a standing ovation when Mr Nyusi arrived in the stadium in a open presidential van.
Later, the National unity torch arrived amidst jubilation from all corners of the stadium and President Nuyusi received the torch and lit the pyre.
Simultaneous cultural performances were given followed by different exciting security and military parades.
After the commemorative activities, Mr Nyusi addressed the gathering in Portuguese language and later hosted an official reception for Heads of State as well as former Presidents and other dignitaries.
And speaking in an interview upon his arrival in Mozambique, Mr Lungu said good neighbourliness demanded that countries participated in activities like independence celebrations “I am here to celebrate with my brothers and sisters in Mozambique on behalf of the Zambian people and I hope we will have a nice time,” Mr Lungu said
President Lungu also urged fellow African leaders to promote equitable distribution of resources among their citizens.
He said African leaders had a role to ensure that there was equitable distribution of resources from the least to the highest person.
Mr Lungu was accompanied by his daughter Tasila, Dr Kaunda, Presidential Special Advisor for Political Affairs Kaizer Zulu,
Presidential Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda among others.
He was received by Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba, Mozambique’s Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Permanent Secretary Filipe Chidumo,
Zambia’s Ambassador to Mozambique Japhen Mwakalombe, Mozambique High Commissioner to Zambia Jeronimo Chivavi and members of staff from the Zambian High Commissions in Mozambique among others.
Mr Lungu said African countries wanted to consolidate peace, unity and love in Africa and prosperity for their people.
“We don’t want a concentric kind of economic growth where few people or one sector of the country’s economy feeds the people of Mozambique or Zambian.
“We all want to share and that is where we are headed for. We are all focused on the desire to develop and that is what the common factor among Africans is,” he said.
Mr Lungu said African countries were working hard on integrating the region and trying to bring about the oneness of the regionalism and oneness of Africa.
“The vision of the African Union (AU) in 2063 is to have a very united Africa conspicuously developed for everyone to feed and belong to the progressive economies that we are creating,” he said.
Speaking in another interview, Mr Mugabe saluted Dr Kaunda and other revolutionaries  who worked tirelessly to liberate the Southern African region.
Mr Mugabe, who is African Union (AU) chairperson and Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairperson, said former president Kenneth Kaunda together with other revolutionaries were the people who brought freedom in Southern Africa and the rest of the countries in the region.
“But of course we do commemorate Mozambique’s 40th independence also with some sadness that those we worked with the great ones like Edwardo Mondlane and Samora Machel are no longer with us but this is their legacy.
“Their legacy produced other revolutionary legacies but we are glad that we still have the likes of former Presidents such as Joaquim Chissano, Amarndo Guebuza and others. That is why as long as we are
still alive, we must celebrate together,” Mr Mugabe said.
He said it was a very important day for countries in Southern Africa to celebrate the 40 years of independence in Mozambique.
Zesco managing director Victor Mundende, who was also part of the Zambian delegation to Mozambique, said the power utility firm wanted to ensure that it became a hub of electricity trade in the region by investing in power interconnections with neighbouring countries.
Mr Mundende said the power utility firm wanted to invest in a lot of power interconnectors and become a hub for electricity trade in the region.
He said Zesco was undertaking the Zambia-Mozambique power interconnector, which would link to a 330 kv line from Pensulo in Serenje to Chipata which was under construction.
Mr Mundende said it was important that to link Zambia with all neighbouring countries in terms of power lines to ensure that the country became a trade house.
While in Mozambique, President Lungu held bilateral talks with Mozambique President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.
The two Heads of State met at that country’s Presidential Palace where they discussed matters on energy and security among others.
During the closed-door meeting, President Lungu accepted to undertake a state visit to Mozambique in August this year which will mainly focus on bilateral trade and cooperation with that country.
On the other hand, the President of Mozambique accepted to officiate at the Kulamba Kubwalo ceremony to be held in Zambia in August this year.
Finally, President Lungu met the Zambians living in Mozambique and discussed a number of issues with them.
Charity Ndalama, a Zambian who is married to a Mozambican and spoke on behalf of about 100 Zambians in that country. She said Zambians in that country were happy the Patriotic Front Government had considered the issue of dual citizenship.
She said most Zambians in the Diaspora have faced challenges when it came
to the nationality of their children.
“We, the Zambians living in Mozambique, love our country and remain committed to contributing to the country’s development in whatever way we can.
“As de facto ambassadors, we shall work hand in hand with the Zambian High Commission in Mozambique to promote the relations of the two countries and keep the Zambian flag to fly higher,” she said,
He said Zambians living abroad were aware that the situation had not been easy in Zambia particularly due to the country’s high dependence of copper.
“However, we are hopeful that things will get better soon,” Ms Ndalama said.
Another Zambian, Chibesa Kunda a businessman living in Mozambique, wanted to know when the milling plants would be set up across the country.
Some Zambians wanted to know what the Government was doing to ensure that Zambians living abroad had access to land back home.
In response, President Lungu assured the Zambians based in Zozambique that everything was okay back home and that the PF Government was ready to give them a dual nationality as proposed in the draft Constitution.
Mr Lungu said some people were claiming that he was very sick and hence he was taking advantage of visits abroad to clarify in person that he was well.
On the question of land acquisition for Zambians living abroad, Mr Lungu said the Government will find solution to the issue soon.
“We want to know whether you should be given a different window to access land in Zambia.
“Late President Levy Mwanawasa at some point rubbished the matter and said just apply like any other Zambians but I won’t take that position. I will allow you decide how you want it done,” Mr Lungu said.
He also said the Development Bank of Zambia (DBZ) had released US$ 20 million to the Zambia Cooperatives Federation (ZCF) for the setting up of milling plants across the country.
President Lungu said the funding was supposed to be counterpart funding to the whole loan arrangement so that ZCF could begin processing the milling plants.
“As Zambia, we have totally ignored the role the cooperatives can play in the rural part of Zambia in making sure that people are empowered by making sure that they are the owners of production and also adding value to the crop
Zambians are growing maize countrywide in large quantities but we have storage. There is capacity to add value in these rural areas but the businessmen from Lusaka go there and buy the maize cheaply and hence disadvantaging farmers,” Mr Lungu said.
On the constitution making process, President Lungu said his Cabinet was taking some clauses to Parliament for discussion such as the proposed 50 + 1 and Vice President being a running mate to the President.
Mr Lungu also said the PF Government was willing to have an election date fixed in the constitution as demanded for by some sections of society.
On the issue of changing the electoral process, President Lungu said he swore to defend as well as protect and preserve the country’s Constitution and hence he would not do anything to change it.
And Mr Kalaba said it was unprecedented that President Lungu was always meeting Zambians living abroad each time he visited particular countries.
Mr Kalaba said following the directive that President Lungu gave on the opening of the consulate in China’s Guangzhou Province, the consulate would be opened on August 1 this year.
Mr Kalaba urged Zambians living abroad to submit their views on the Diaspora Policy so that the policy was all-inclusive.
“We are on course on the Diaspora Policy and our teams will be leaving for United States, Ghana, United Kingdom and Kenya in the second week of July to go and hold meetings in the Diaspora.
“We want a Diaspora Policy that is crafted by Zambians living abroad and not otherwise,” he said.
Mr Mwakalombe said the Zambians living in Mozambique believed that God
Appointed President Lungu to take the country to higher levels.
“Transport is very important to the growth of any economy and we are very happy that you are doing a lot to upgrade roads in Zambia.
“We are targeting to have a trade mission in Mozambique’s Tete District which is near Zambia. With the industrialisation taking place in Zambia, we should be able to have the market in Tete,” he said.
By and large, the 40th Mozambique independence anniversary was a success.