'Mnangagwa didn't say Zambia a security threat'

President Emmerson Mnangagwa clarified that he did not refer to Zambia as a security threat or a client state of the United States during a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a recorded meeting in St Petersburg, Mnangagwa had accused the US of using Zambia strategically to isolate Zimbabwe within the region, citing military and economic support as means to achieve this goal. He expressed concerns about potential security implications of military cooperation between Zambia and the US for Zimbabwe and the broader Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

Mnangagwa's spokesperson, George Charamba, emphasized that the president's remarks were focused on condemning what he termed as hostile American activities in the SADC region. Charamba clarified that Mnangagwa's comments aimed to defend Zimbabwe's security interests and were aligned with SADC and African Union positions against foreign military presence or activities on African soil. Charamba reiterated that Mnangagwa did not describe Zambia as a security threat or a client state of any foreign power, including the US.

The statement from Mnangagwa's spokesperson was issued in response to a NewsDay article that had suggested the president viewed Zambia as a security threat to Zimbabwe and accused Zambia of becoming an American client state bent on destabilizing the region. Charamba's clarification sought to dispel any misunderstanding and reaffirmed Mnangagwa's commitment to safeguarding Zimbabwe's security interests while promoting regional cooperation and peace among SADC member states.