06/08/2026
OUTGOING SWEDISH AMBASSADOR COMMENDS ZAMBIA'S RESILIENCE IN DELIVERING SOCIAL PROTECTION
Outgoing Swedish Ambassador to Zambia, His Excellency Johan Hallenborg, has commended the Zambian Government for its resilience in delivering social protection programmes to poor and vulnerable communities across the country.
Speaking during a farewell courtesy call on Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary Ms Angela Kawandami, Ambassador Hallenborg praised the Government's leadership in providing social protection services during both normal and emergency situations.
Drawing from his visits to all ten provinces, the Ambassador cited the Government's response to the 2023/24 drought through the Emergency Cash Transfer Programme as a notable example of effective social protection, saying it provided vulnerable households with a critical safety net during one of the country's most challenging periods.
He also described Zambia as a peaceful and secure nation and expressed optimism that the longstanding partnership between Zambia and Sweden would continue to strengthen humanitarian and development cooperation.
"It's either you love or like Zambia," Ambassador Hallenborg said, noting that the country's favourable policy reforms position it for greater success in advancing human development.
Meanwhile, Ms Kawandami expressed gratitude to the Swedish Government for its longstanding support to Zambia's social protection sector, particularly the Social Cash Transfer Programme, which has strengthened the effectiveness, transparency, and sustainability of assistance to vulnerable households.
She also acknowledged Sweden's support in improving services for children, women, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups through policy development, institutional strengthening, and enhanced service delivery.
She further recognised the Swedish Embassy's contribution to policy dialogue and national social protection reforms, as well as its collaboration with development partners, including UNICEF, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the World Bank.
Ms Kawandami said the partnership had extended beyond financial assistance to include technical support, policy advice, knowledge sharing, and institutional capacity building, all of which have strengthened Zambia's social protection systems.
She reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to deepening cooperation with Sweden in areas such as migration management, combating trafficking in persons, and improving social welfare services, and wished Ambassador Hallenborg success in his future assignments while expressing confidence that the strong ties between the two countries would continue to flourish.
