Samia congratulates Mnangagwa for re-election

TANZANIA : PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has congratulated Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa for being re-elected as the President of Zimbabwe after garnering more votes in a general election concluded over the weekend.

Dr Samia sent the congratulatory message through her X handle (formerly twitter), pledging that Tanzania will continue working together with Zimbabwe, to bolster diplomatic ties between the two nations.

“On behalf of the government and the people of the United Republic of Tanzania, I extend my heartfelt congratulation to his excellency, President @edmnangagwa, on being reelected as the president of the republic of Zimbabwe,” wrote Dr Samia.

“I am looking forward to continuing working together in fostering the historic, economic and diplomatic relations between Tanzania and Zimbabwe,” she added

Mr Mnangangwa (80) through the Zimbabwe Afri- can National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) ruling party’s ticket ascended as the winner by 52.6 per cent against his strong contender, Mr Nelson Chamisa (45) of the Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) Party, who garnered 44 per cent, the Zimbabwe’s Election Commission announced on Saturday.

According to local media in Zimbabwe, a total of 11 candidates contested in the presidential race, including Elizabeth Valerio of the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA), who garnered 0.1 per cent of votes and Douglas Mwanzora of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who collected 0.6 per cent to mention a few. Mr Mnangagwa who was a vice-president of Former President, Mr Robert Mugabe, was re-elected to serve his second term’s presidency in the election held on Wednesday and Thursday last week.

Tanzania is a critical ally of Zimbabwe and has stood by the country on many inter- national fora.

Relations between the two countries have their roots in the liberation struggle when Tanzania played a pivotal role in providing sanctu- ary for training and mobilisation to liberation movements in southern Africa.

Both ZANU and ZAPU had their military wings in Tanzania as the country hosted the Liberation Committee headed by the late Retired Brigadier-General Hashim Mbita. Zimbabwe and Tanzania’s relations have continued to blossom after independence, culminating in the signing of several bilateral agreements.

Also, through further strengthened bilateral relations, there is increased trade between Tanzania and Zimbabwe.