Friday, March 29, 2024

President Edgar Lungu conferred with Free man of Blantyre status

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President Edgar Lungu receives a Key of Freedom from Mayor of Blantyre Noel Chalamanda at Civic Centre where he was granted the freedom of the City Status  in Malawi on july 6,2015 -Picture by THOMAS NSAMA
President Edgar Lungu receives a Key of Freedom from Mayor of Blantyre Noel Chalamanda at Civic Centre where he was granted the freedom of the City Status in Malawi on july 6,2015 -Picture by THOMAS NSAMA

REPUBLICAN President Edgar Lungu has been conferred with the status of Free man of the City of Blantyre by the Blantyre City Assembly.

Presdent Lungu was conferred with the city status upon arrival in Blantyre yesterday, at the civic centre, by city mayor Noel Chikamanda accompanied by First Lady Esther Lungu.

Thereafter, the President with his entourage proceeded to Nsajika Palace for a closed door meeting with Malawian President Arthur Peter Mutharika.

The President who arrived around 18:11 hours at Chileka International Airport in Blantyre yesterday was welcomed by Zambia’s High Commissioner to Malawi Salome Mwananshiku, Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba, Tourism Minister Jean Kapata, Patriotic Front deputy secretary general Mumbi Phiri and Tourism permanent secretary Stephen Mwansa.

Others that welcomed President Lungu include Malawi’s Foreign Affairs Minister George Chaponda and Finance Minister Goodall Nsaka and Zambians living in Malawi.

Earlier President Lungu received the Presidential salute on arrival.

In presenting the city status to President Lungu Blantyre Mayor said Zambia have a lot in common and also share a relationship with the City of Ndola in the Copperbelt province dating as far back as 1973.

And President Lungu said that the relationship between the two cities should bring solutions to the two cities.

President Lungu said the local authorities were facing problems of squatters, public health and distribution of clean water.

“Our people are the same and it’s a great honoured to be conferred with this status,” he said.

President Lungu is today expected to grace the 51stIndependence Anniversary Celebrations set for Kamuzu Stadium in the commercial Capital Blantyre.

Zambia’s High Commissioner to Malawi Ms Mwanashiku said President Lungu was expected to attend the State Banquet after the Independence Celebrations.

Ms Mwanashiku who confirmed in a press statement released by First Secretary for Press Chansa Kabwela said President Lungu and his Malawian counterpart Professor Mutharika were expected to sign the Malawi/Zambia Trans Frontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) Treaty at Sanjika Palace.

“Zambia and Malawi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2004 to commence formal negotiations for the establishment of Malawi/Zambia TFCA,” She said.

The two countries have been working together in the joint management of protected areas along the common border within the TFCA.

This project was aimed at protecting wildlife in the National Parks and Game reserves and promoting biodiversity in the border districts.

“Through the TFCA Zambia and Malawi will work together to manage the Nyika and Kasungu National Parks and the Vwaza Marsh wildlife reserve,” she said.

On the Zambia side, the TFCA includes the following areas: Nyika, Likusuzi and North Luangwa National Parks, Musalangu Game Management Area, Lundazi,Mitenge and Makutu National Forest Reserve.

16 COMMENTS

    • Half the National Executive Committee and half the Cabinet flew into another country to go and welcome their own President. That is supposed to be the role of the host Presdent and the Zambian High Commisioner. That is usurping the protocol that is supposed to be reserved for the High Commissioner. At the moment Zambia can’t affort this resource wastage. Trim the entourage that accompanies the President.

    • They can as well confer him with permanent resident of Blantyre. Inonge will finish his term & we will live happily thereafter.

  1. Let me brake it down for you people who do not read-explain why Lungu was given the key.
    This means that:
    1.Zambians can now steal in Malawi and not be prosecuted
    2.Any Zambian male can marry in Malawi to free.

    Lungu is working

  2. What a useless honour! The Malawians should ask their honourable Freeman Chagwa’s help in hunting down the hyenas that roam Blantyre during day time.

  3. The President and half of his cabinet including that ka playful PS from ministry of tourism were in Malawi to welcome Lungu is that not the reason why we have embassies in other countries to perform such duties. No wonder the economy has gone to the dogs head of state is always flying to catch up on what he missed in his childhood. That is the risk of voting a ka poor chap into power look at Zambia today.

  4. I will be sad the death of Sata, the last hope for Zed. The Zedian economy is under stress. In the late 70s, I thought the economy was good but parents always told how things had gotten bad by 1975. Another wave is coming like the one we had in the mid 80s, Lungu has no vision.

  5. Mr President please please come back so that you go to Comoro they have their independence day on July 6th then we cant wait for you to go to Liberia on 26th July.

    Just remember to settle down next year in preparation for election.

    Dont worry about the Zesco loadshedding and the dollar issues.

  6. Point of collection minister of finance in Malawi is called Goodall Gondwe not Goodall Nsaka. Bright Nsaka is another minister.

  7. DISSAPOINTED WITH ZAMBIANS: THEY ARE GOOD AT INSULTING THEIR PRESIDENT; I THOUGHT THEY ARE CIVILISED ENOUGH TO SORT OUT THINGS SMART; SHAME

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