Mnangagwa Congratulates Botswana's President Elect, Duma Boko
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who also serves as the SADC Chairperson, on Friday extended his congratulations to Duma Boko, the newly elected president of Botswana.
Boko, the leader of the opposition coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change, was officially declared Botswana’s sixth president by Chief Justice Terence Rannowane during a broadcast on state television.
In his congratulatory message, Mnangagwa said that Boko’s victory in the October 30 election reflects the strong confidence that the people of Botswana have in his leadership abilities. Said Mnangagwa:
On behalf of the Government and People of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and on my own behalf, I wish to extend to you my most sincere congratulations on your election as the next President-Elect of the Republic of Botswana.
Your victory clearly attests to the confidence that the people of Botswana have in your leadership capabilities.
As you assume your new role, I am confident that the excellent relations between our two countries will continue to grow from strength to strength in the years ahead, for the mutual benefit of our two peoples.
I also affirm my commitment to working very closely with you at regional, continental and multilateral fora, in pursuit of a just global political and economic order.
May I take this opportunity to wish you personal good health and success, as well as peace and prosperity for the people of Botswana.
Mnangagwa’s delay in congratulating Duma Boko has raised eyebrows, especially since outgoing Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi conceded defeat and congratulated Boko early on Saturday.
In contrast, during the recent Mozambique elections on October 9, Mnangagwa swiftly congratulated FRELIMO’s Daniel Chapo even before the final results were announced.
Political commentators suggest that Mnangagwa may have been hurt by the defeat of his close ally, as several high-ranking ZANU PF officials, including Patrick Chinamasa, actively campaigned for Masisi and his PDP party leading up to the elections.
Zimbabwean journalist Hopewell Chin’ono claimed that Masisi and Mnangagwa were friends long before they assumed the presidency in their respective countries. He wrote on X:
Masisi used to visit Mnangagwa before either of them became president, it was under the radar, and the Zimbabwean media never wrote about it, maybe because they didn’t know, or because they didn’t see the need to.
To keep these visits discreet, Masisi would stay with John Bredenkamp, a white businessman and ZANU PF supporter who died in 2020, rather than with Mnangagwa directly.
So, the association between Masisi and Mnangagwa was not new, it predated their presidencies and it became apparent as the two men took turns to support each other publicly.
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