Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema is earning some praise online for travelling with a “lean team” for the UN General Assembly in New York.
Mr Hichilema travelled to the UN meeting on a commercial Qatar Airways flight from the main airport in Lusaka.
He was accompanied by two ministers.
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“Just like we promised before taking office, we will ensure prudent management of public resources and have therefore travelled with a lean team that is composed of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance, Stanley Kakubo and Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane respectively,” he said in a statement before leaving.
“This is a first in the region where [Zimbabwe’s President] Emmerson Mnangagwa and [Malawi’s Lazarus] Chakwera take planes packed with hangers on”, tweeted Zimbabwe journalist Hopewell Chin’ono.
Another social media user wrote: “Africa is coming up: Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has left Zambia for the UN General Assembly, New York using a commercial flight”.
The Malawian president was in July criticised for taking his family members along on a UK trip but he said that they were needed for the event. (BBC)
