South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent best wishes to newly-inaugurated Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera on the latter’s ascendancy to his country’s highest office, APA learnt on Monday.
In his message, Ramaphosa also commended Malawians for conducting “a peaceful poll” which the African Union chairperson said had served to deepen Malawi’s democracy within and in the continent.
“The AU re-commits itself to continued closer working ties with the Malawi government to enhance cooperation, and pay particular attention to strengthening economic development and integration,” Ramaphosa said.
Chakwera beat former president Peter Mutharika during Malawi’s historic presidential election rerun last Tuesday to lead his Malawi Congress Party-led coalition back to power after 26 years in political wilderness.
The re-run came after the country’s Constitutional Court in February annulled Mutharika’s May 2019 poll victory.
This was due to massive irregularities, the court ruled, that included the use of correctional fluid to change figures on the tally sheets.
Mutharika, who never conceded defeat, went out fighting, saying the exercise “was the worst in the history of the country.”
NM/jn/APA