ED briefs Angola on Zim transition

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday met Angolan President Joao Lourenco to brief him on the peaceful political transition that has taken place in Zimbabwe.

President Lourenco chairs the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.

Speaking after the meeting held at the Presidential Palace, President Mnangagwa said he had a “useful one-on-one” with the Angolan leader.

He said he told President Lourenco that Zimbabweans regarded former President Cde Robert Mugabe as an icon and as such, his administration will look after him well and preserve his legacy.

“It was an excellent meeting. I came to Luanda to brief my senior, President Lourenco, about the transition that has taken place in Zimbabwe,” he said.

“As you are aware, I first went to South Africa to brief the chairman of Sadc, President Jacob Zuma. President Lourenco is the chairman of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security, so he is the second person I wanted to brief about the transition in Zimbabwe. From here, we go to other Sadc countries to do the same.”

He said Zimbabwe had a peaceful transition that saw him taking over from Cde Robert Mugabe as President.

Said President Mnangagwa: “I explained that what has happened to Zimbabwe is a very smooth peaceful transition which has resulted in the resignation of our iconic President, Cde Robert Mugabe, who resigned after there were several demonstrations by our people in Zimbabwe demanding a change as a result of the capture by the (G40) cabal.

“We had the transition peacefully and the former President is very safe. We will look after him well, care for him, he is our founding father of the nation.”

He added: “He is our revolutionary icon and we are determined to preserve his legacy. Those criminals who surrounded him, the transition has been able to remove them from positions of influence. I also congratulated President Lourenco for being elected President and he in turn congratulated me for the peaceful transition.”

He said they also had bilateral discussions, especially on economic and trade relations. “We are going to have a Joint Commission

and those issues will be discussed under that umbrella,” President Mnangagwa said.

“There are various issues which we felt would be dealt by the ministers. We are determined to consol- idate the already excellent relations between our two countries. We have agreed to up our economic and trade relations.”

He said the Joint Commission would promote the existing relationship between the two coun- tries.

“We have agreed to meet again in Davos (Switzerland) and in Addis Abba, Ethiopia (for the African Union Summit) in a few days.”

President Mnangagwa returned home last night.