Published by the government of Zimbabwe
20 October 2009
Harare — A delegation from Angola's ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola party jetted into the country yesterday and met officials from Zanu-PF led by secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa.
The two revolutionary parties discussed how to strengthen their relations as well as challenges confronted by the post-independence period.
The Angolan delegation is in the country on a three-day visit.
Speaking to journalists after a closed-door meeting at the Zanu-PF Head-quarters yesterday, MPLA secretary-general Cde Juliao Mateus Paulo said the two parties discussed ways of cementing their relations and their respective nations.
"We attended the meeting at the invitation of Zanu-PF under the umbrella of the good relations between the two parties. As you know, there are connections between the two parties and our intention is to maintain the same relations," he said.
Cde Paulo said they also discussed the economic situation in the two countries and ways of improving the lives of the people.
"We also talked about the economic relations between our countries and that the people must be united. This is the only way to maintain the relations between the countries and be stronger in the future," he said.
Zanu-PF and MPLA share cordial relations dating back to the liberation struggles in the two nations and Cde Mutasa said they learnt a lot from their Angolan counterparts who faced similar machinations from Western countries.
Jonasi Savimbi led the Unita rebels that fought the government of Angola for over 25 years before he was killed in 2002. The rebel movement received backing from the US government and apartheid South Africa.
The West has also vilified Zanu-PF since it led the fast-track land reform programme and has slapped the country with sanctions including travel restrictions on most of the party's leadership and companies as well as individuals perceived to be sympathetic to it.
The MPLA delegation is expected to visit Bindura today where they will meet Mashonaland Central Governor Advocate Martin Dinha, the Zanu-PF leadership in the province and tour some farms.
Among those who attended the meeting were Zanu-PF senior officials who included Cde Kumbirai Kangai (secretary for external relations), Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa (legal affairs) and Cdes Sithembiso Nyoni, Herbert Murerwa and Saviour Kasukuwere.
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