The Mozambican President, Daniel Chapo, is visiting South Africa on Tuesday 4 March, at the invitation of his counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, with a view to deepening the relations of friendship, solidarity and cooperation that have existed between the two nations for many years.
Quoted in a statement, the Mozambican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Maria Lucas, said that the country wants to attract more South African investment to develop important areas for the economy and, to this end, Chapo will meet with various businesspeople operating in various sectors.
‘During the visit, we will express our gratitude for the support we received from South Africa during the general elections held last October and praise the role of the Mozambican community living in that country.’
Ramaphosa was one of only two heads of state to attend Chapo’s inauguration ceremony on 15 January, where he argued that Mozambique should work together [with South Africa] for peace, democracy and development.
On 23 December, the Constitutional Council (CC) proclaimed Daniel Chapo the winner of the elections for the Mozambican President, with 65.17% of the votes, succeeding Filipe Nyusi in office.
The announcement sparked chaos in Mozambique, which experienced a long period of post-election protests, causing heavy losses for the South African economy due to the closure and vandalisation of the Ressano Garcia Border. According to the Absa Group’s Economic Research Office, the situation forced a drop in industrial activity in the neighbouring country.
