South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will soon visit Zambia on a regional familiarisation tour.

According to a statement issues by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the Zambian High Commission to South Africa Naomi Nyawali, President Ramaphosa said this when he met with President Edgar Lungu who is in that country for a state visit to consult his counterpart on bilateral and regional matters.

Ramaphosa said he had embarked on a regional familiarisation tour which would bring him to Zambia, among other states in the region.

The two Presidents met at Oliver Tambo House which the official Residence of the Deputy President.

Ramaphosa said Zambia and South Africa enjoyed cordial and warm relations arising from the two states’ historical, cultural, social and economic ties.

Meanwhile President Lungu congratulated Ramaphosa for his election as President of the ANC as well as President for that country.

“And President Edgar Lungu congratulated Mr Ramaphosa for his election as President of the ANC by the 54th ANC Conference held at NASREC in Johannesburg in December 2017. He also congratulated Mr Ramaphosa for being elected as the country’s Head of State by Parliament in February 2018. He said he was happy that the bilateral relations and cooperations between the two countries had resulted in economic and social benefits for the two countries.
President Edgar Lungu, who came from Botswana where he was part of the inspection of the works on the new Kazungula Bridge, was in South Africa to consult with his counterpart on regional and SADC matters including issues related to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kindom of Lesotho, the two nations being part of the SADC block. Recently President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila was in Zambia on similar consultations,” stated Nyawali.

President Lungu was accompanied to lunch held in his honour, by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joe Malanji, Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe, Zambia’s High Commisssion to South Africa, Emmanuel Mwamba and State House Private Secretary Daniel Siwo.