LUSAKA – Former Zambian President Edgar Lungu has expressed gratitude that Zimbabwe’s President, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa invited him for his inauguration.
“I am a former President and I have been invited in that capacity. Besides we got honorary PHDs at the same time. As you may know, as President, I enjoyed warm and cordial relations with President Mnangagwa”, he said.
“As you saw on the plane, Dr. Mnangagwa has also invited many of his former colleagues he was with at the University of Zambia”, he said.
He was speaking when the Patriotic Front delegation led by Acting President Hon. Given Lubinda paid a courtesy call on him at his hotel.
Former President Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu arrived in Harare aboard a commercial flight in time for the inauguration of newly re-elected Zimbabwean President, His Excellency Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other regional leaders are also set to attend the inauguration and swearing-in ceremony of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday, September 4.
The Presidential Inauguration Ceremony will take place at the National Stadium in the capital city Harare.
In a statement released on Sunday evening, Ramaphosa’s office indicated that the President would be heading to the neighbouring country and will be accompanied by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Dr Naledi Pandor.
Ramaphosa’s attendance however comes amid calls for him to snub Mnangagwa’s inauguration following concerns raised by elections observer missions over the harmonised elections that were held on August 23 which saw Mnanagagwa emerge victorious with 52.6 percent of the total votes cast, while his opponent Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) clinched 44 percent of the votes.
Last week, Build One South Africa movement (Bosa) leader Mmusi Maimane urged Ramaphosa not to attend the inauguration.
Maimane pointed out that by attending, Ramaphosa would be subverting the stance taken by the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) on the Zimbabwe elections.
In a previous statement, SADC’s Electoral Observer Mission denounced the harmonised elections in Zimbabwe, stating that they violated democratic processes and “fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections…”
Chamisa had also called for fresh elections in the wake of the statements made by the observer missions.
While there has been suggestions that the CCC may take a legal route over the elections, no official confirmation has been cited by Chamisa or his party.
Meanwhile, preparations were underway over the weekend with various heads of state are expected to attend.
