Story by Theophilus Chuma
VICE President General (Retired ) Dr Constantino Chiwenga joined several African leaders in Kampala, Uganda, this Tuesday for the inauguration ceremony of President Yoweri Museveni.
At least 30 countries were represented at the ceremony, reflecting Africa’s spirit of unity and solidarity.
Vice President Chiwenga represented President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zimbabwe at the event, which also underscored the principles of the African Union centred on regional cooperation and unity.
In his address, President Museveni stressed the importance of value addition and industrialisation in improving Africa’s economic prospects.
“We are one Africa united under one spirit. We thank our brothers from across the region for helping shape Uganda into what it is today. As Africa, we now need to focus on improving our economies through value addition. We should not continue exporting our products in raw form. Africa has vast potential, and this can be realised through our mineral wealth,” he said.
The event was attended by several African Heads of State, former presidents from Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania, as well as diplomats and regional representatives.
Vice President Chiwenga said such regional engagements are important in strengthening cooperation among African nations while allowing countries to learn from each other’s developmental progress.
“We attend ceremonies in member states of the African Union, especially inaugurations following elections, to observe the level of advancement achieved by individual countries and by Africa collectively. The African Union has evolved significantly since 1963 when it was formed, at a time when only a few countries had attained independence from colonial rule,” he said.
He added that African nations had united under the Organisation of African Unity before its transformation into the African Union, which later adopted Agenda 2063 as a continental development blueprint.
“In 2013, African Heads of State adopted Agenda 2063 to define the kind of Africa we want. By attending such events, we are learning how different parts of the continent are developing, particularly in terms of democracy and governance,” he said.
The ceremony also provided an opportunity for Zimbabwe and Uganda to reaffirm their longstanding fraternal relations and commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.
