Don’t just talk politics, invest in fellow African countries, Hichilema tells diplomats

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PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has urged African ambassadors and high commissioners to turn a new page in 2025 by embracing joint investments between African countries.

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Addressing diplomats at the Presidential Annual Greeting of the diplomatic corps in Lusaka yesterday, President Hichilema stated that Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) should also be done among African countries instead of just depending on countries outside Africa.

He said being a diplomat does not mean one has to concentrate on talking politics but also includes one bettering their country of origin and the one they have been assigned to go to.

“African ambassadors and high commissioners, can we turn a new page. When we talk of foreign direct investments, it shouldn’t be Americans, Chinese, the European Union only. It should also be Kenyans and Zambians. Zambians and Congolese. Congolese and Zambians and Zimbabwe, everybody.“

“We can’t just be talking politics, politics, politics. How do we invest in democracy? We have to have our economies functioning. So that’s my message to the African high commissioners and ambassadors. Can we invoke that line. Malawian high commissioner, Malawi-Zambian inter-connector is a short liner, I believe it’s less than 200 kilometers. It’s a no brainer. Zambian investors [and] Malawian investors can come together, and that inter-connector [can be] done quickly,” said President Hichilema.

The Head of State further advised that African countries should only run for help to countries outside the continent when the balance sheet can’t carry the load.

“When we fall short ourselves, we can now go to the global capital market, that’s why we have these ambassadors coming. When cholera breaks out in Malawi, invaluably it will come to Zambia, it doesn’t recognise boundaries,” he added.

The Head of State added that there is a need for African diplomats to ensure that the health sector is integrated among fellow African countries.

“If we have cholera in Nakonde it will be in Tanzania within one hour and vice versa. Congo we can’t even talk about it. A cousin is a Zambian, a nephew is a Congolese. Bilateral programmes, we want to strengthen them on materiality and peace, security and stability. We don’t need wars,” explained the President.

By Catherine Pule

Kalemba, January 24, 2025

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