Accra, Ghana – resident Emmerson Mnangagwa has paid tribute to Ghana’s founding father, Kwame Nkrumah, during a state visit to Ghana.
The Zimbabwean leader laid a wreath at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in downtown Accra, where the late Pan Africanist is buried. The visit formed part of his official programme in Ghana and carried historical significance for both nations and the wider African continent.
Dr Nkrumah led Ghana to independence in 1957, making it the first sub Saharan African country to gain freedom from colonial rule. His leadership and message of unity became a rallying point for liberation movements across Africa at a time when many countries were still under colonial administration or minority rule. 
His declaration that “the independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa” became a defining statement for the Pan African movement. The message resonated strongly in Southern Africa, including in Zimbabwe, which was then under white minority rule.
President Mnangagwa, who participated in Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle that culminated in independence in 1980, has often spoken about the influence of early African revolutionaries on freedom fighters in the region. Ghana, under Nkrumah’s leadership, became a centre of support for exiled liberation movements, offering political backing and material assistance to those fighting for majority rule.
By laying a wreath at the mausoleum, Mnangagwa signalled recognition of the shared liberation history between Zimbabwe and Ghana. The gesture also reflected ongoing ties between the two countries, shaped by a common struggle against colonialism and a long standing commitment to African unity and self determination.
The memorial visit took place during Mnangagwa’s state engagements in Accra, where discussions between the two governments are expected to focus on strengthening cooperation in various sectors while drawing from their shared historical foundations.
