As ceremonies go, this is probably a first for President Klaus Iohannis in his nine years as head of state.
A video has emerged of locals in Zanzibar welcoming Romania’s president and his wife Carmen Iohannis to Zanzibar, shouting greetings including „Hakuna Matata” (May you have no worries).
A man holding a portrait of the Romanian president runs and hurls himself into the Indian Ocean, yelling: „Hakuna matata, Iohannis!”, a common greeting used in Africa where the president is on a nine-day tour. The same ceremony is repeated for Mrs. Iohannis.
The phrase comes from „Swahili” and is mostly used in East Africa. „Hakuna” can be translated as „Does not exist” and „Matata” as „Problems”. It basically means „No worries.”
People use it in Zanzibar, Kenya and Tanzania to say „everything is fine” or that „don’t worry, be happy.”
The phrase became known globally after the blockbuster The Lion King. The song is often heard at Disney’s resorts, hotels, and amusement parks.
Iohannis is on a 14-23 November tour of Kenya, Tanzania, Cape Verde, and Senegal.
The tour, the first by a Romanian leader in 30 years, aims to revitalize relations with Africa while recognizing the continent’s key role in shaping global trends in the 21st century.
The strategy aims to capitalize on the existing potential for cooperation and exploring unexplored areas, the Romanian Foreign Ministry said.
