President Lazarus Chakwera has hailed Botswana President Duma Gedion Boko for inspiring Malawians who have “gone through a lot” in the past five years.
The Malawi leader said this yesterday at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe during a media briefing they conducted at the end of Boko’s three-day State visit to Malawi.
He said Malawi faced a series of challenges, including Covid -19 in early 2021, cholera outbreak in 2022 and a series of cyclones in the past five years.
“Then, they face the loss of half of their food crops due to drought necessitated by El Nino weather conditions in 2024. And even now, as we speak in 2025, there is an Mpox outbreak that is spreading in our borders,” Chakwera said.
However, he expressed gratitude to God, saying that through His grace resilience and the hard work of Malawians, the nation has not relented.
Said Chakwera: “We are still standing. We are still united and we are still hopeful and one of the graces of God that has helped us to stay on our feet and to stay on track with our focus on development across the country is our good relationship with our friends within the region.
“I am proud to say that the Republic of Botswana, its government, its people, have been a shining example in that regard. I’m grateful that your visit, Mr President, has put all of that solidarity on full display.”
Taking his turn, Boko hailed the relationship between Botswana and Malawi which dates back to 1966.
He said Malawi and Botswana have gone through stages, phases and cycles in their political and economic development.
“We have faced challenges deep and complex. We have had to wrestle with these challenges. We have had to survive in a geopolitical environment. We are stronger today because we have met to deepen the relationship between our two countries,” said Boko.
Boko was in Malawi as a guest during celebration of the country’s 61st Independence Anniversary in Lilongwe. He arrived on Saturday and undertook several engagements
