Hichilema receives S’African minister, calls for value addition in natural resources through collaboration

President Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia and South Africa should leverage their intertwined relations to encourage businesses to invest in areas of mutual benefits.

He added that the two countries should also utilise the opportunities presented by the global energy crisis, as doing so would help with the agenda of regional development.

The Head of State said this when South African Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Naledi Pandor, paid a courtsey call on him at State House in Lusaka on Friday.

He said Africa was in a unique position of hosting many of the critical minerals needed for clean energy technologies.

“As Africans, we should hold hands and use this opportunity to focus on value addition through mineral beneficiation, local manufacturing and agro-processing,” Hichilema said.

He noted that the two pillars of Zambia’s foreign policy were Economic diplomacy on one side and peace, stability and security on the other.

Hichilema said South Africa continued to be a key trading partner and the Bi-National Commission (BNC) would deeply anchor the strong and historic relations between the two countries for the mutual benefit of citizens.

“While we are concerned about the trouble spots of instability in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and across the world, we continue to advocate for flying the flag of peaceful resolution through dialogue,” he said.

Hichilema said peace was the key ingredient needed to enable the two governments to deliver prosperity to their people.

The Head of State welcomed Pandor to Zambia and thanked him for the special message from President Cyril Ramaphosa.

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