Botswana’s President, Duma Boko, has denied claims that he was gifted 10 Ankole cattle by President Emmerson Mnangagwa during a recent SADC meeting in Harare.
According to Tuesday Grill, the cattle were allegedly given to Boko to congratulate him on his historic general election victory.
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, December 17, Emang Mutapati, the Press Secretary to the President of Botswana, stated that the claims are “baseless and unfounded.” Reads the statement:
The Office of the President categorically refutes false allegations that President Duma Boko has received any breed of cows or similar gifts from His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
President Boko has never been involved in farming, either as a cattle rancher or any other manner.
These baseless and unfounded claims are therefore a deliberate act of propaganda designed to mislead the public, detract from the critical work of the administration, and tarnish the strong diplomatic relations between Botswana and Zimbabwe.
We urge the public to dismiss these misleading allegations with the contempt they deserve. Furthermore, we call on the leadership of the Botswana Editors Forum to protect the public from rogue elements who masquerade as journalists while engaging in deliberate misinformation campaigns.
The relationship between President Boko and President Mnangagwa remains diplomatic, focused solely on strengthening cooperation and fostering mutual development between the two nations.
More: Pindula News