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President Mugabe and the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe welcome Zambian President Edgar Lungu and his wife Esther at State House in Harare yesterday.

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Zambian President Edgar Lungu yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Mugabe where he promised that there will be greater things to be discussed in today’s Extraordinary sadc summit drawing several Heads of State and Government from the region.

The two leaders held closed door talks for more than two hours at State House where they discussed several issues, including the forthcoming Zimbabwe International Trade Fair which the Zambia leader is expected to officially open tomorrow.

President Lungu, who was accompanied by his wife Madam Esther, was welcomed by President Mugabe and First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe at State House before they withdrew for a one-on-one discussion.

Both leaders emerged from the marathon meeting in a jovial mood, with President Mugabe cracking jokes when several journalists, both foreign and local, swarmed them.

Asked what they had discussed, President Mugabe said jokingly: “We were just relaxing, but the President (Lungu) will answer whatever questions you have that you would want to get answered. But if you don’t have, I will ask you questions myself,” President Mugabe said drawing laughter from those in attendance.

After a pause, President Lungu quipped: “They don’t have (questions).”

Pressed further President Lungu said: “There are bigger things to be discussed tomorrow. I am here for the second and third time now.

“I am here for the first time officially as Head of State, but I think I am getting used to the hospitality of President Mugabe. Like I say, he is an elder Statesman in the region and he knows all the corners and I am learning from him.”

President Lungu was in Harare in February when he held bilateral talks with President Mugabe after he won the Presidential by-election to replace Mr Michael Sata who died last year.

Also accompanying President Lungu to State House was Zambian ambassador Mrs Ndoyoyi Muliwana Mutiti and Zambian senior government officials.

President Mugabe and President Lungu are expected to join their counterparts today at the sadc Extraordinary summit convened to discuss the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and the sadc Industrialisation Strategy which the Council of Ministers adopted yesterday.

President Lungu is expected to officially open ZITF in Bulawayo tomorrow where about 419 direct exhibitors and 19 countries are participating.

This year’s trade fair is running under the theme: “Stimulating Trade, Seizing Opportunities to Accelerate Growth”, which dovetails with the ideals of the country’s economic blueprint — the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim-Asset).

Before holding talks with President Lungu, President Mugabe, who is also the sadc chairperson, met the regional bloc’s Executive Secretary Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax.

Although Dr Tax did not speak to the press on the meeting, sources said she briefed President Mugabe on the preparations for the sadc Extraordinary summit.

Senior government officials from the region met over the weekend to discuss the agenda for the summit, which they forwarded to the sadc Council of Ministers which met yesterday and adopted the agenda which will be forwarded to the summit.