Vice Presidential Pool Reports of March 31, 2023

VP pool report 1 - depart Tanzania

Good morning from Afrcia.

Note: Harris is expected to have a news conference after her bilat today in Zambia.

At 11:01 am - motorcade leaves RON in Dar es Salaam for the airport

11::18 Harris arrived at the Dar airport. She took a photo with embassy staff.

We will be wheels up to Zambia shortly. See background about her day below.

On background attributed to a White House official
The Vice President will meet with President Hichilema on Friday, March 31 in Lusaka, Zambia. This will be their third engagement—they met in Washington in September 2021 and at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December 2022. They will discuss strengthening the U.S.-Zambia partnership across a range of areas and will discuss regional and global issues. On democracy and good governance, the Vice President will thank President Hichilema for co-hosting the Second Summit for Democracy this week and will discuss follow-up items. The Vice President will commend President Hichilema for an ambitious democratic reform agenda. She will commit to continue investing in strengthening democratic institutions and human rights in Zambia and throughout the continent. On the economy, the Vice President will reiterate her objectives for this trip, which include driving private sector investment to Zambia and to the continent. She will reaffirm that the United States will be a strong partner in building long-term economic growth. She will advocate for speedy finalization of Zambia's debt treatment. We anticipate they will also discuss international rules and norms, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, food security, and digital inclusion.

Attached is an embargoed fact sheet.

As the Vice President said in her speech in Accra, Ghana, "In addition, this continent has a personal meaning for me because my grandfather and other members of my family worked in Zambia in the 1960s alongside a newly independent people. I was fortunate enough to visit them in Zambia as a young girl. The values that guided my relatives when they were there, and the legacy of their efforts, remain a source of pride for my entire family and continue to animate my work today."

P.V. Gopalan, the Vice President's maternal grandfather was a civil servant for India. He was deputed to the Government of Zambia as the Director of Relief Measures and Refugees in January 1966 by the Indian government. To perform these duties, he relinquished his role as the head of the office of the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Rehabilitation in India's government. He reassumed charge of the Office of the Joint Secretary to the government of India in the Ministry of Rehabilitation in July 1969, on reversion from the government of Zambia.

Zambia received an influx of refugees after then-Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence from the United Kingdom in November 1965. According to the 1980 World Refugee Survey by the U.S. Committee for Refugees, by January 1980 Zambia had 43,000 Zimbabwean refugees. Gopalan was an expert on refugee resettlement and helped Zambia manage the influx of refugees from Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, following their independence from Britain.

VP Pool note 2 - Harris arrives in Zambia.

1:37 pm Harris's motorcade left Lusaka airport

1:22 pm local time - Harris walks down the stairs of AF2.

She is greeted by Zambia's vice President, who is also a woman. (W.K. Mutale Nalumango)

Drummers and traditional dancers also met her at the airport. And a crowd of about 200 waved small American and Zambian flags near the plane.

Harris greeted the group waving flags who could be heard yelling "VP is here" with excitement when Harris walked over to talk with them. Many also had out cell phones to take photos of her.

12:58 pm local time; AF2 landed in Zambia

11:36 - wheels up from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

VP Pool Report 3 - Harris no comment on Trump and remarks on WSJ

Pool will send a longer note on Harris in Zambia. But want to get out her comments from a press conference with Zambia's president that is ongoing.

Harris Trump's indictment

"I am not going to comment on an ongoing criminal case as it relates to the former president" - VP Harris

" I will say as it relates to the American citizens that have been detained by the government of Russia, we are concerned" - VP harris

"we are absolutely concerned about any attempt to, in any way, stifle freedom of the press" VP Harris

VP pool note #4 - More on presser, Zambia's presidential palace

VP Harris arrived at Zambia's presidential palace around 2 pm local for a bilateral meeting with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema.

Monkeys were spotted on the grounds by the palace as the motorcade drove in. The presidential palace is a red brick compound with lush green surroundings.

At 2:33 - Harris entered a formal conference room at the Zambian presidential palace to talk with the Zambian president. Officials were around a long wooden conference table with flowers in the center. A painting of an elephant hung on one wall. A painting of a rhino hung on another.

A pair of white tusks were set up in a fireplace on one end.

Harris and the Zambian president spoke briefly.
"For you this is like a homecoming." Zambia's presidnet said.

Pool was ushered out quickly.

At 3:36 both leaders walked out for presser. The presser ended around 4:10 PM local.

Pool has already sent remarks from Harris not commenting on Trump's indictment and comment on the detention of a WSJ reporter in Russia.

Attached is an OTTER of the press conference. Pool is moving to another stop - so efforting to get this out before the next event. Will send some quotes later.

Flagging comments in here from Zambia's president on the influence of China on the Zambia and on Trump's indictment.

https://otter.ai/u/dGkWUHrsNNQyPSVTJmlHFmM9c4s?utm_source=copy_url

VP pool note 5 - land that Harris's grandfather was on

Pool note 5 - Harris's grandfather's home

In the 1960s Harris's grandfather on the Indian side lived and worked in Zambia. Harris visited as a young girl and has mentioned her childhood trip several times.

The US embassy here, working with the VPs office, located the spot they believe he lived. It was the land where his house was, not the structure which is no longer there.

4:37 harris gets out of car at a two story pale yellow building with a large wooden door.
Harris got out of the car

She was met by a woman from the US Embassy. " it's currently used as an office space," the embassy woman said.

"For the past year I've been looking for this spot," the embassy woman said.

The woman presented Harris with an index card.

The Woman said she "a week ago we found this," of the card." She said the record helped find the plot of land.

Harris asked a question that the pool could not hear.

The embassy woman did not know the answer but said - "the fight is not over " an apparent reference to learning more about the land/document.

At 4:42 pm harris goes into the structure. Pool ushered to vans.

At 5:01 the motorcade departed.

VP pool report 5a - details from VP office

Notes from the VP's office about the stop where Harris's grandfathers house was in Zambia.

---------- Forwarded message ---------

EMBARGOED UNTIL ARRIVAL AT OTR

On background, attributed to a White House Official:

In Lusaka, the Vice President is visiting the location that records indicate is the former residence of her grandparents. While in Lusaka in the 1960s, her family resided at 16 Independence Avenue, although the numbering of addresses has since changed, and the location was ultimately identified using plot numbers in public records and land surveys.

U.S. Embassy Lusaka pursued research to identify the location of this home, including going through public records, engaging with Zambian and Indian authorities, and speaking with those who worked in the Zambian government at the time. In addition, members of the Vice President's family provided recollections about the home, which aided the search. After much work by the Embassy and dead-ends in the search, the Embassy identified this location only a few days ago while the Vice President was in Accra, Ghana.

Ultimately, the Zambian Ministry of Lands, with assistance from others, identified 16 Independence Ave as the Gopalan family home, as recorded in a public lands document dated March 9, 1967.

The property now belongs to Madison Group, a Zambian group of companies that include Madison General Insurance and Madison Financial.

While at the site, the Vice President will greet with the following individuals who helped the team at U.S. Embassy Lusaka in its research

1. Mr. Lufwendo "Lofty" Lishomwa, brother of former Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Finance and Economic Special Assistant in Economics to President Kaunda.
2. Mr. Mark Chona Jr., son of Mark Chona Sr., Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs 1965 – 1968; Special Assistant to President Kaunda 1968 – 1980
3. Ms. Nankhonde van Den Broek, daughter of Joseph Kasonde, Minister of Health 2011-2016 and friend of the Vice President's aunt, when they worked together at Lusaka Central Hospital.

VP pool note 6 - Harris quotes about her grandfather at the National Assembly of Zambia

5:12 PM - VP Harris arrives at the National Assembly of Zambia - an impressive mid century modern structure. She visited it as a young child, per the VP's office.

Harris could be overheard talking to an official who greeted her at the National Assembly saying:

"We had a very productive meeting," Harris said to the woman, speaking about the presidential meeting.

Harris mentioned the need to "keep holding democratic principles."

Per the VP's office: The VP was met by Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti, Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia; Ambassador Mike Gonzalez, U.S. Ambassador to Zambia

In response to questions from reporters, Harris also made brief remarks about her stop at the land where her grandfather's house once stood.

"My grandfather was one of my favorite people"

"I was the eldest grandchild and so I got the benefit and the blessing of a lot of time with him," she said.

"He believed in the nobility of public service," she said.

"He believed in fighting corruption. These are things he would talk a lot about," Harris said.

"I don't think, until I was older, I realized how that just subconsciously influenced the way I think in a very strong way."

"So it was special."

Harris also stood by a cement plaque that's infront of the National Assembly. It's one where Harris was photographed as a girl.
5:17 - harris signs a welcome book

Around 5:20 - Motorcade departs for a stop outside the US embassy. It is closed press.

Motorcade arrives at embassy at 5:43 pm local

* And from the previous pool report that repeatedly referenced a female US embassy official:

* The embassy official who helped locate the last location is Elizabeth Norikane, Political and Economic Associate, U.S. Embassy Lusaka