In a gesture of friendship and cooperation, Tanzanian President Samia Hassan announced a generous gift to Zambia during the celebration of Zambia’s 59th Independence Day. President Hassan, who is on a three-day state visit to Zambia, revealed that Tanzania would allocate 20 hectares of land at the Port of Mtwara to Zambia. This land grant is intended for the storage of goods and trade facilitation, aiming to strengthen economic ties between the two neighboring nations.
The Tanzanian Head of State made this significant announcement while gracing Zambia’s Independence Day anniversary at State House in Lusaka, emphasizing that this allocation of land at the modernizing Mtwara Dry Port would greatly enhance the business relationship between Zambia and Tanzania. President Hassan also extended the offer of longer storage duration for Zambia, a move intended to alleviate the congestion caused by the substantial volumes of consignments passing through the region.
In her address, President Hassan challenged Zambian businesses to seize this opportunity and expand their operations, thereby fostering trade not only with Tanzania but also with other nations in the region.
Hassan underscored the alignment of Zambia’s independence theme, “Accelerating National Development through equitable distribution of resources,” with Tanzania’s commitment to promoting economic transformation and development cooperation. She expressed her government’s dedication to working closely with Zambia to realize the shared vision of improving the well-being of both nations’ citizens.
The Tanzanian President reaffirmed her country’s commitment to collaborating with Zambia on development and infrastructure projects that would further connect the two nations. She also pledged to support the construction of a new natural gas pipeline to meet Zambia’s growing energy needs, which are essential for the Zambian economy’s continued growth.
President Hassan commended President Hakainde Hichilema’s administration for the significant economic progress achieved in recent times and the continued social integration and unity within Zambia. She urged Zambians to use Independence Day commemorations as an opportunity to remember the sacrifices of liberation heroes and work towards shaping the nation’s development trajectory.
In response, President Hichilema expressed gratitude to President Hassan for gracing Zambia’s 59th Independence Day celebrations. He emphasized Zambia’s eagerness to deepen its relationship with Tanzania, particularly in the development of joint infrastructure ventures that would benefit the citizens of both countries.
Hichilema stressed the importance of African countries, such as Zambia and Tanzania, expediting economic and social transformation to ensure that ordinary citizens can enjoy the fruits of their countries’ liberation. He called for the utilization of natural resources to transform the socio-economic landscape and guarantee the well-being of the people.
President Hichilema highlighted the government’s commitment to improving the country’s economic fortunes and its investment in free education to provide young Zambians with opportunities for participating in the nation’s development.
He also pledged that Zambia would continue to make the Tazara corridor a focal point for trade, investment, and the movement of people to foster regional peace and development. Hichilema affirmed that other corridors, such as Nacala, Beira, Lobito, and the South-to-South corridor, would also play a vital role in facilitating trade and investment in the region.
Additionally, he expressed his commitment to working with President Hassan, who serves as Deputy Chair of the SADC Troika Committee, to ensure peace, security, and stability in the region.
The Independence Day celebrations were attended by numerous dignitaries, including Vice President Mutale Nalumango, Defense and Service Chiefs, Speaker of the National Assembly Nelly Mutti, former Vice Presidents Nevers Mumba and Enoch Kavindele, Cabinet Ministers, Traditional Leaders, Diplomats, senior government officials, and invited citizens.
The festivities were marked by a jubilant atmosphere, with entertainment provided by the Defence Force Choir, UPND Choir, Amayenge Band, and other performances, as well as moments of humor. President Hassan is scheduled to address the National Assembly of Zambia on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, concluding her state visit to Zambia on a positive note of strengthened bilateral relations.
This is a great gesture of African unity and as Zambians we should be thankful to our Tanzanian brethren always.
We love you Tanzania and we too as Zambians should reciprocate this good will and look at more ways we can increase and facilitate ease of trade with Tanzania.
If we discover oil on that piece of land,please dont come back
Tanzania was the only country that supported our freedom struggle, perhaps largely because the other countries were still in chains. UNIP and ZANC before it had lots of support from Nyerere. We cant forget that. These are our blood brothers who dont even know the meaning of Xenophobia
More good things are yet to come under HH.
Chinjeni abanandi, not fi PF.
They are just the same
People in Kenya and Uganda think Tanzania is their best friend. People in Zambia and Tanzania know that they are each other’s best friend. Ideologically, there is separation between Zambia and Tanzania. That being said, Tanzania may be trying to discourage Zambia from taking advantage of the free port facilities given to it by Namibia in Walvis Bay, years ago.
Is it verbal?
We have more than enough land in zambia for Zambians. The only problem is that hh is giving our land to his western foreign connections
Didnt your ECL get land down south which kept for himself ???
What are we going to do with this land with our inefficiencies. For example NAPSA over a month ago told me to see them after a month, today I go there after flying into the country for them and today their show grounds office should tell me they have not received any feedback yet from the ones who do evaluations, a date they gave me themselves.
I hope we won’t get into it blindly, as usual. GRZ under UNIP spent a lot of money to develop port facilities at Dar es Salaam through ZAL Holdings. Most of the infrastructure you see at that Port was built by Zambia. But because we’ve people that can’t think properly in charge, we lost out and it’s been Tanzania that’s been benefitting from the infrastructure. So it’s too soon to be excited over this gesture from President Suluhu. Zambia is a country of excellent idyoots
Excellent observation there @Ayatollah!! The main users of the Port of Dar es Salaam during KK’s time was Zambia as Tanzania’s economy was very small compared to that of Zambia and that was the port we largely depended on immediately after independence until end of apartheid! I too, believe we must have invested a lot in those facilities and deserve to be shareholders! What happened to records of expenditure and what was really the agreement between Zambia and Tanzania for our investment??
@ Zedyatu, Zambia has always gone into these arrangements blindly. Look at TAZARA, Zambia was the main user of that railway line but all vital maintenance workshops were constructed in Tanzania. Today whenever the Zambian side wants any equipment repaired, it’s done in Tanzania at a fee because operations have been split. Tanzania has more assets than Zambia
Thank you Tanzania and thank you Dr Samia Hassan. Asante sana!
Kaizar Zulu. That land is for Zambians. A gift for Zambians. Do not dare with your old PF friends to steal that land.
During a 1970s state visit to the German Democratic Republic (GDR) (East Germany), Fidel Castro made a promise that Cuba would donate an island to the East German government, and Cayo Blanco del Sur was renamed in a ceremony during a state visit by Erich Honecker. The Island is a 15 km long and 500 m wide island in the Gulf of Cazones that is named after Ernst Thälmann, a German communist politician. According to both the Cuban embassy in Germany and the German Foreign Office, the renaming was a “symbolic act”, and the island was never transferred from Cuba. Neither of the German states owned the island during or after the reunification of German. Dont be happy about this!
Imwe naimwe we should be happy if we want to. This unnecessary counselling of Zambians for 20 hectares of land should stop. Do you just want to show that you’re clever?
They will subdivide and put up plots. Zambians can’t be trusted.