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The Herald
Farirai Machivenyika in DODOMA, Tanzania
President Mnangagwa thanked Tanzania yesterday for its role in the liberation struggles in Zimbabwe and other countries in the Sadc region.
He spoke at the swearing-in ceremony of Tanzanian President John Magufuli following his landslide victory in last week’s presidential elections.
President Magufuli, whose Chama Cha Mapinduzi party has ruled Tanzania since gaining independence in 1961, was sworn in by Chief Justice Ibrahim Juma in a ceremony attended by thousands of people. at the Jamhuri Stadium in Tanzania’s administrative capital, Dodoma.
Her deputy, Ms. Samia Suluhu Hassan was also sworn in at the ceremony.
In his remarks at the ceremony, President Mnangagwa congratulated President Magufuli on his re-election.
“In Zimbabwe we regard Tanzania as the mother and father of our independence. The founding father of Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, is considered a patriot in Zimbabwe.
“Once he says he comes from Tanzania, we see President Nyerere,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said that Tanzania played a key role in the liberation struggles of most of the Sadc countries.
“Most of the southern African countries, Angola, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe were here (during the liberation struggle).
“Tanzania is the backbone of pan-Africanism in our region and we are doing everything we can to follow in the patriotic footsteps of our founding fathers,” said President Mnangagwa.
He thanked President Magufuli for leading calls for the removal of illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe.
“When he was chairman of Sadc (last year), he proposed that Sadc as a region should observe October 25 as a day against the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe,” he said.
The president told the meeting that sanctions had been imposed on Zimbabwe because of its historic exercise of land reform that aimed to correct the imbalances of colonial land ownership.
“We will never apologize for taking back our land. Tanzania supports us and Tanzania is leading Sadc in this fight for sanctions to be lifted. “
The president also thanked the Tanzanian leader for making a state visit to Zimbabwe last year.
“In the midst of a severe drought in my country, Tanzania offered us corn. Uganda also offered maize to Zimbabwe.
“This shows the patriotic leaders in this region,” said President Mnangagwa.
In his speech, President Magufuli pledged to work together with all Tanzanians regardless of ethnic, religious and political beliefs to make Tanzania economically independent. “The elections are over. Let’s join together now to complete flagship projects and launch new ones, accelerating the fight against corruption and misuse of public funds, fighting poverty and creating jobs, ”he said.
He also pledged to protect the country’s natural resources, including minerals, marine resources, forests, wildlife, and livestock for the benefit of Tanzanians.
President Magufuli promised to continue strengthening relations with foreign countries and international organizations.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, his Comorian counterpart Azali Assoumani, representatives from other Sadc member states and AU countries, among others, attended yesterday’s ceremony.
Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa returned home yesterday and was met at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, various cabinet ministers, heads of service and senior government officials.
