Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Friday arrived in Harare for the inaugural Zimbabwe–Zambia Bi-National Commission (BNC), his first State Visit to Zimbabwe since taking office in 2021 — and a notable one, coming just a year after he skipped President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s inauguration in 2023.

The visit marks a thaw in relations between the two neighbours, following a period of diplomatic chill that saw Hichilema keep his distance from Harare amid perceptions of tension between the two administrations.

Outspoken political commentator Hopewell Chin’ono wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Hichilema had long been uneasy about Mnangagwa’s close ties with his predecessor, the late former Zambian president Edgar Lungu. The tension between Hichilema and the Lungu family remains high, compounded by the ongoing dispute over the repatriation of Lungu’s body, which still lies in a South African mortuary.

Chin’ono also highlighted that Hichilema’s latest trip follows his recent visit to Tanzania, where he attended the inauguration of that country’s leader amid international criticism of human rights abuses. He suggested that Hichilema’s re-engagement with Zimbabwe forms part of a broader regional outreach as Zambia gears up for a crucial general election in 2026.

At home, Hichilema faces mounting economic and political pressure, with high debt, inflation, and unemployment undermining his reformist appeal. Analysts say his visit to Harare could be an attempt to consolidate regional goodwill and project diplomatic stability as he prepares for the challenges ahead.

The Bi-National Commission, co-chaired by Hichilema and Mnangagwa, replaces the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation and serves as the highest bilateral platform between the two countries. It is aimed at strengthening collaboration in trade, energy, infrastructure, mining, and security coordination.

In his welcome remarks, Mnangagwa hailed Hichilema’s visit as a milestone in deepening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

“The people of Zimbabwe and Zambia are bound by one history, culture, family relations, and common aspirations for prosperous economies and a higher quality of life,” Mnangagwa said.

He said the inaugural session of the Bi-National Commission provided an opportunity to “scale up multi-pronged and mutually beneficial cooperation” between the two nations, adding that leaders had “an inevitable duty to ensure that we leverage on each other’s comparative advantages and natural resource endowments to leap-forward the development, modernisation and industrialisation of our respective countries.”

Mnangagwa commended progress made on several agreements and memoranda of understanding, including the conceptualisation of the Lion’s Den–Kafue Railway Project, which he described as “critical” to regional integration and trade.

“There is scope for greater cooperation to promote trade and mutual investments in transport, infrastructure, energy, mining and agriculture,” he said. “I urge our ministers and senior officials to be deliberate and results-oriented in all exchanges, to bring life and meaning to the decisions of this Bi-National Commission.”

Mnangagwa also underscored the need for peace and stability as foundations for development, and called for continued coordination between Zimbabwean and Zambian defence and security services in countering new threats such as terrorism, drug trafficking, and cybercrime.

Concluding his address, Mnangagwa described Hichilema’s visit as “historic” and urged both governments to approach their engagements “with a sense of urgency as we re-double efforts towards deepening our mutually beneficial and strategic cooperation.”

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

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