Hichilema, other African Heads of State urged to seek debt relief at BRICS summit in S’Africa

The National Restoration Party (NAREP) has called on President Hakainde Hichilema and other African leaders to table the issue of debt relief for all African countries as they attend the BRICS Summit.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Stanly Kakubo, on Tuesday announced that Hichilema would join other Heads of State on Wednesday at the BRICS Summit taking place in South Africa.

NAREP General Secretary, Ezra Ngulube, in a statement issued in Lusaka on Wednesday said the only way Africa can develop and be able to provide social services to its people is when there was debt relief.

“As a party NAREP, we would like to welcome that move because BRICS constitutes emerging economies across the globe and the organization itself comprises of more than 40 percent of the world’s population and quarter of the world’s economy,” he said.

Ngulube said debt relief must be part of the agenda because without writing off the debt, it would be almost impossible for African countries including Zambia to develop.

“As (NAREP) we would like to welcome the pronouncement by the President Hakainde Hichilema that he will be joining more than 30 heads of states and government at the BRICS summit which is taking place in South Africa,” he said.

The invitations for the roundtable had been extended to all eight Chairs of the African Union’s Regional Economic Communities, the Chairperson of the African Union, the co-chair of Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

The Summit had been preceded by the BRICS Exhibition from August 19, to August 23 and a Business Forum on August 22, 2023.

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