29 Oct 2023

Botswana and Zambia need regular engagements to continue strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation.

This was said by multilateral department director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Zenene Sinombe at a reception to commemorate Zambia’s 59^th Independence anniversary in Gaborone on Friday.

Mr Sinombe said the two countries continue to enjoy excellent bilateral relations and fruitful cooperation and the majestic Kazungula bridge project was one of examples signifying the flourishing relations.

He said Botswana was the first to receive Zambia’s first ever export of fertilisers through the collaboration of the United Capital Fertilizer (UCF) Zambia limited company.

He said Botswana received 30 of the expected 300 trucks of the 15 000 metric tonnes of granulated compound fertilisers.

“This partnership will surely be the beginning of many ventures in the agricultural sector. Botswana stands ready to deliver high quality coal to meet energy demands of the company, thus boosting trade between the two countries,” he added.

For her part, Zambia High Commissioner to Botswana, Ms Pamela Chisanga said her country’s democracy continued to grow over the last 59 years, and currently had peaceful and successful transitions.

“Zambia has had seven presidents through democratic elections since independence in 1964. We are particularly proud of this achievement because it simply means that the people of Zambia have had a say in who leads them, starting from the time of independence,” Ms Chisanga said.

She said since election in August 2021, President of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND government had remained committed to creating a conducive environment for social, economic and political development of the country.

“Zambia’s democratic dividend is beginning to pay off. Under the leadership of President Hichilema, there is renewed confidence in Zambia’s ability to manage its affairs. Just recently, the Zambian government secured a debt restructuring deal with bilateral creditors, which will free up billions of dollars in resources that would now be committed to developmental projects. The process of signing MoUs with bilateral creditors has since commenced this month, which will see the country’s debt burden reduced by about US$5 billion dollars over the next 10 years,” she said

Ms Chisanga highlighted a few developments in Zambia that responded to their independence theme of accelerating national development through equitable distribution of national resources.

She said one of the key changes that they had seen under the current government was fiscal decentralisation.

Ms Chisanga thanked Botswana  for the warm, friendly relations that had existed between the two countries. She paid tribute to the late Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Sir Seretse Khama, the founding fathers of not only the two sisterly countries, but who also decided to work together at a critical time in efforts to liberate the entire region both politically and economically.

“Just two days ago marked the 52^nd anniversary of the opening of the Zambian Chancery in Gaborone, which was officially opened by Sir Seretse Khama on October 25, 1971,” she said.

She further said Zambia cherished the warm and cordial relations as well as the strong bond of friendship and cooperation between the two countries which the founding fathers cemented decades ago and had grown from strength to strength, resulting in formal cooperation under the frameworks of Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation (JPCC) and Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security (JPCDS).

She further said Zambia and Botswana shared not only a common border and similar cultures but as members of SADC, shared interdependent developmental aspirations.

“The two countries have more similarities than they have differences and the bond of friendship have continued to grow over the years. In recent times, a significant example of our two countries collaborative efforts is evidenced by the construction of the Kazungula Bridge and the One Stop Border Post, which serves as both a physical link and strategic economic link between our two countries and the rest of the SADC region in the North South corridor,” she said

Ms Chisanga said as they further engaged during the upcoming 16^th session of the JPCC, she desired to witness the two countries finalise the transition of the cooperation to a Bi-National Commission to accelerate implementation of key agreements in agriculture, trade and tourism, among others, for the mutual benefit of peoples. Ends