By Patson Chilemba
The Presidency has said the government is handling the matter where Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa castigated Zambia before Russian President Vladimir Putin diplomatically, as there was no proof he said the words attributed to him.
Speaking with Daily Revelation Newspaper, President Hakainde Hichilema’s spokesperson Clayson Hamasaka said the video showing President Mnangwaga telling President Putin to support Zimbabwe as the United States of Americans were consolidating their power here, security wise and financially, could not be authenticated.
“The presidency is saying nothing for now because … we are dealing with these issues diplomatically. Yah! For now these are issues where we have to authenticate,” chief communication specialist Hamasaka said. “You get the point? You know this world now has AI (Artificial Intelligence)? With these AI things so these are issues that will be dealt with diplomatically, if at all they are authentic.”
He said State House could not tell if the remarks attributed to President Mnangagwa were true, hence the route the government had taken in the absence of proof.
“And the government system is aware and soon will contact the colleagues there,” said Hamasaka.
President Mnangagwa said the British and Americans had not looked upon his country well as Zimbabwe was very much inclined towards the east.
However, Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe had no apologies as they felt they were better of having relations with people who respected them as opposed to those who looked down upon them.
“You see the west have just began consolidating their power in Zambia, our next neighbor. You know there was a time when Zambia and Zimbabwe were one. It was called Northern and Southern Rhodesia, it was one by the British, but we are now separate,” President Mnangagwa said. “And the Americans are consolidating their power in that country, both in terms of security and in terms of financial support to Zambia, to make sure that we feel lonely. But that will not change us because we have taken a course as a people that we feel we want to be independent and we choose our friends ourselves,”
President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was independent today because their leadership was trained in Russia during their war of liberation against the British.
He said Zimbabwe needed support in the area of defence and security as well as food security, saying they could only resort to Russia as the west wanted to see Zimbabwe down.
“They supported our neighbors Zambia and Malawi very heavily but inspite of that Zimbabwe’s economic growth is the fastest growing economy in the region, inspite of us being isolated by the Americans,”
