Botswana President Duma Boko Dismisses Claims of Receiving 10 Ankole Cattle from President Mnangagwa
President Duma Boko has denied allegations that he received a gift of 10 Ankole cattle from Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa during a recent SADC meeting in Harare.
This comes after reports emerged that stating that President Mnangagwa gifted President Boko the cattle as a congratulatory gesture for his historic general election victory.
Statement from the Office of the President
Emang Mutapati, Press Secretary to the President of Botswana, issued a statement on December 17 to set the record straight and clarify the situation. He dismissed the reports stating that President Duma Boko did not receive any breed of cows or similar gifts from President Mnangagwa.
“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,” the statement read.
Mutapati emphasized that President Boko has no involvement in farming, neither as a cattle rancher nor in any other capacity.
Condemnation of Propaganda
The statement went on to condemn the allegations as deliberate propaganda aimed at tarnishing the strong diplomatic relations between Botswana and Zimbabwe.
“These baseless and unfounded claims are 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,” it said.
The Office of the President also called for accountability within the media, urging the Botswana Editors Forum to address misinformation campaigns:
“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.”
Focus on Diplomacy
Despite the allegations, the statement reaffirmed that relations between President Boko and President Mnangagwa remain professional, rooted in fostering cooperation and mutual development between the two nations.
“The relationship between President Boko and President Mnangagwa remains diplomatic, focused solely on strengthening cooperation and fostering mutual development between the two nations.”
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