Hichilema’s United Party for National Development (UPND)
has close ties with the MDC Alliance.
Chamisa has also met the incoming Zambian president several
times as part of a regional network of opposition parties led by South Africa’s
Mmusi Maimane.
UPND and MDC Alliance officials confirmed that Zimbabwe’s
mainstream opposition leader was expected in Lusaka for the historic occasion,
but they could not give further details.
Chamisa was not reachable to confirm whether he was
travelling to Zambia following the invitation.
MDC Alliance secretary for international relations Gladys
Hlatywayo, who last week met with Hichilema soon after his victory, was also
not available for comment.
Joseph Kalimbwe, one of the key members of Hichilema’s
campaign, said on Twitter MDC Alliance was the only political party in the
region that supported UPND ahead of Zambia’s hotly-contested August 12
elections.
Hichilema defeated President Edgar Lungu by over a million
votes. Kalimbwe said the UPND must never forget its allies when it assumes
power in Zambia.
“My support for the struggles of friends and comrades
across our continent (Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania — Africa) is unwavering — it
will never stop,” he tweeted yesterday.
“They chose the hard path of supporting our UPND struggles
when others refused to associate with us in the opposition.”
Senior government officials were last week forced to react
to social media debate about what UPND’s victory meant for Zimbabwe given its
relationship with the MDC Alliance
President Emmerson Mnangagwa said those who thought that
the Zambian story would repeat itself in Zimbabwe were dreaming in statements
that were seen as directed to Chamisa.
Mnangagwa is also travelling to Zambia for the
inauguration. Zambian Information and Broadcasting Services ministry permanent
secretary Amos Malupenga said Hichilema’s inauguration ceremony would be
strictly by invitation because of the
Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2017, Chamisa and the late MDC-T leader Morgan
Tsvangirai were invited to attend the inauguration of Ghanaian President Nana
Akufo-Addo and they held private talks with him after the ceremony. Standard
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