Chakwera says fertiliser to come through insurgency-hit Mozambique without problems: Describes talks with Nyusi fruitful
President Lazarus Chakwera has hailed his day-return State visit to Tete, Mozambique describing it as a move to further cement the bilateral relationship between the two countries, saying talks with his counterpart Philip Nyusi also touched on the need to improve trade links between the two countries.
Chakwera, speaking to the press at Kamuzu International Airport, said Nyusi recognises the insecurity in his country and that they are working to resolve the issues.
Jihadists seized the key port town of Mocimboa da Praia in gas-rich Cabo Delgado province last month. The Mozambican army has not yet managed to regain control of the area, where attacks first began in 2017. But the violence has escalated dramatically this year, with insurgents brutally killing civilians and ambushing military and other key targets with frightening regularity.
Chakwera said they discussed the issues and sought guarantees from Nyusi that the fertiliser that Malawi is importing for Affordable Input Programme (AIP) will not be affected when passing through Mozambique.
“The Mozambican President has assured me that he will make sure that farm inputs, especially fertilizer will be transported into the country through Mozambique without any challenges,” he said.
The President said he wants problems affecting any of the countries within the SADC region to be considered as shared problems to all member states.
“We need to join hands in dealing with such situations to ensure that people of those affected countries are helped accordingly,” he said.
Chakwera also said President Nyusi  assured him that Mozambique is very ready to work Malawi in areas of energy, agriculture, security and rail transport among others.
The Malawi leader said he pleased that President Nyusi gave him a warm reception and that he was quite aware of how strategic Beira and Nacala Ports are to Malawi, as a landlocked country.
Chakwera said Malawi was currently working with Zambia in the sector of energy noting that the two countries shared similar problem of black outs.
In a Joint Communiqué, the Malawi and Mozambique leaders  agreed to work together in trying to create additional infrastructure along the development corridors with the aim of improving mobility of people and goods by prioritizing Malawi connection to the Sena rail line through Vila Nova de Fronteira de Marka.
“We are very willing to supply energy to Malawi; through the already existing projects  such as the construction works for the 400KV electricity transmission line for Mozambique and Malawi interconnection. Connecting Matambo Substation in Tete Mozambique and Phombeya in Malawi,” President Nyusi said after the bilateral talks with President Chakwera.
The two governments expressed satisfaction in the communiqué with the process of reaffirming of the common border that is taking place in accordance with the plan agreed between the technical teams of the two countries.
“There is a need to raise awareness among border communities in order to preserve the landmarks and avoid construction of new infrastrures on the affirmed borders as a way of ensuring peaceful co-existence among the local communities in the two countries,” the Communiqué reads in part.
President Chakwera addressing the high level delegation after the private meeting with his counterpart, he said the two countries share common social statuses which need to be respected.
“Malawians and Mozambicans are all the same despite sharing the borders. We are all brothers and sisters,” he pointed out.
During the President Chakwera’s visit, with his Mozambican counterpart, appreciated Cahora Bassa hydro power dam where a Malawi–Mozambique transmission line is being constructed under the Malawi-Mozambique interconnector project.
The Malawi Leader was companied by Minister of Transport and Public Works, Sidik Mia, Trade and Industry Sosten Gwengwe, Homeland Security, Richard Chimwendo Banda, Energy, Newton Kambala and Mining, Rashid Gaffar.
President Chakwera is using a chartered Malawian Airlines flight – the same he used on his visit to Zambia and Zimbabwe.
After an early departure in the morning, Chakwera arrived back at 4 :27pm and was welcomed by the State Vice President, Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima.
At the airport there were different political party colours of the Tonse Alliance member parties that include the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), UTM and Peoples Party (PP) among others.–Additional reporting by Martin Chiwanda & Mphatso Nkuonera, Mana
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Teach Portuguese in our schools, so that we know the basics. There is potential for agreements for us to be able to do business with Mozambique who import even chickens from Brazil.
Probably the best economic move by the President. Mozambique is key to unlocking our country’s development opportunities. Further we need business minded people in the embassy in Mozambique. Portuguese should be taught in our schools. Mozambique is our most important economic partner. It was a terrible mistake to have supported Renamo during their war. Let us strengthen cultural and education ties with them. Motivate business people like Jimmy Korea Mpatsa or Mulli to open up bus routes to Tete and Maputo. And don’t forget Angola Mr President.
I don’t see anything worth praising the president. Malawi always fail to negotiate deals. Warm welcome just because of nsima. The president failed to stick to real issues like the Shire Zambezi waterway. And even Tanzania the president will come with empty hands on the lake issue
All that President Chakwera has done is to highlight to those insurgents how dependent Malawi is on the port. So this will make the insurgents target Beira Port. Nyusi is failing to recapture the areas under insurgents control and has assured Chakwera that our fertiliser is safe. No Bwana papani the guarantee of Nyusi is worth nothing. Repeat nothing.
Mozambique armed forces cannot regain the areas captured by the insurgents so the question is what is the guarantee given to Fly Fly Chakwera by Nyusi worth? The areas captured by the insurgents is where Nyusi is from and yet Nyusi’s army is busy killing innocent civilians. So what Talk Talk Chakwera has done is to begin a process for Malawians to get involved in the conflict in Mozambique.
o presidente de Malawi nao gosto dar de poder mulheres. Tambem um mentiroso. Abusa kumanama ndithu kuti universal subsidy.
Well done Mr President, but now we have come to a point of realisation that Ningu was right to buy a Plain, cos now we are using a chartered plane, there is no way using a chartered plane can be cheaper. Sometimes Malawians, we must learn to respect visions.
Bingu was a great leader in history of Malawi, & we lost a great father
Totally agree
People will remember him
Majority of malawians have started doing business on their own
Who before were depending on jobs
That is what he wanted
Komadi zoona Malawi is in dire need of electricity. Tinali nanzathu full of air “Malawi will developed to the level of Germany” the DPP pythons were swallowing large quantities of monies into personal accounts Malawi never took off we have been crowned the producer of instant billionaires with a shady past. So electricity will propel our nation to the realistic level of development not that of our celebrated pythons
Surely transporting our fertilizer via the Mozambican insurgency zone is taking a huge gamble. Let’s avoid the volatile zone for once.
Congratulations to the Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera because of holding this important meeting with my Mozambican President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi. The problem of black outs needs urgent solution by bringing additional power from Tete in Mozambique. Congratulations to the people hof Malawi, my second loved country.
Thank you very much Paulino and this shows that you are a true son of Africa 🌍
I like your comment
Thank you Paulino. Such initiatives were lacking in the previous government, we are looking forward to a completely changed Malawi.
osaiwala nkhani ya bwino ya njanji ya ku Biera vis Nsanje