President in Tanzania for Magufuli’s inauguration
Farirai Machivenyika in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
President Mnangagwa, who arrived here yesterday, will today join other leaders at the inauguration of President John Magufuli following his re-election last week for a second five-year term.
The swearing-in ceremony will be held at Jamhuri Stadium in Tanzania’s administrative capital of Dodoma.
The President was yesterday seen off at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Vice Presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi, Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, Harare Provincial Affairs Minister Oliver Chidau, service chiefs and senior Government officials.
The President, who is accompanied by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo, arrived at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam where he was met by Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Tanzania, Lieutenant-General (Retired) Anselem Sanyatwe.
President Magufuli, whose party Chama Cha Mapinduzi has been in power since Tanzania attained independence from Britain in 1961, garnered 84 percent of the vote while his main challenger, Mr Tundu Lissu of Chadema party, came a distant second with 13 percent.
In his address following the announcement of the results by the National Electoral Commission last week, President Magufuli thanked Tanzanians for the faith they reposed in him and vowed to work hard to uplift their livelihoods.
He pledged to work with all Tanzanians, including those from opposition parties, to develop the country.
Observer missions from Sadc and the East African Community commended Tanzanians for voting in a peaceful manner. On Monday, President Mnangagwa congratulated President Magufuli on his re-election.
Writing on his Twitter handle to congratulate President Magufuli, President Mnangagwa said his victory would ensure continued cooperation between Zimbabwe and Tanzania.
“Congratulations to (President) Magufuli on his re-election victory as the President of Tanzania. I know that through increased trade and cooperation between our two nations, both of our peoples will prosper.”
Zimbabwe and Tanzania enjoy cordial relations that go back to the liberation struggle when the later housed liberation movements in the formative years of the war.
Over the years, the relations between the two countries have grown from strength-to-strength as their respective revolutionary parties have continued to cooperate, diplomatically and economically.
Meanwhile, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga is the Acting President.
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