CLAIM: The White House sent a letter to President Emmerson Mnangagwa congratulating him on his election victory.
SOURCE: WhatsApp
VERDICT: FALSE
A letter circulating on social media since September 3rd, purports to have been sent by US President Joe Biden.
The letter ‘signed’ by President Joel Biden sends a congratulatory message to President Emmerson Mnangagwa who emerged victorious after defeating 10 other presidential hopefuls in the just ended general harmonised elections.
Part of the letter reads,
“Congratulations on your recent election as President of Zimbabwe. Your longstanding dedication to the public service will help advance peace and prosperity across the African region and around the world.
As democracies around the world face unprecedented challenges, your election demonstrated that democracies can deliver. Millions of Zimbabweans stepped up and made their voices heard-casting their ballots in the 23 August Presidential Election. Many for the first time. Civic engagement is the corner stone of free and open societies, and the Zimbabwean people inspired people around the world with their commitment to exercising fundamental freedoms.”
What did the USA say about Zimbabwe’s August 23rd election?
The USA did, indeed, comment on the Zimbabwean election. And not in a complimentary manner.
The US Embassy in Zimbabwe in a statement released on 25 August said it shared ‘the deep concerns expressed by SADC and other international electoral observation missions’.
The same sentiments were also shared by the US Department of State.
In a statement from the Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, the US said the conduct of the elections ‘belie President Mnangagwa’s repeated pledges to respect rule of law, transparency, and accountability. The United States is engaging regional leaders to share our concerns, including what this means for the international community’s nascent efforts to reengage the Zimbabwean government.’
The Southern Africa Development Community Election Observation Mission had noted, in a preliminary statement, that the 23 August elections “fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021).
How many Heads of State congratulated Mnangagwa?
Among the world leaders who have congratulated Mnangagwa for his second and final term are Cyril Ramaphosa from neighboring South Africa , Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Hage Geingob of Namibia as well as China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin
Tanzanian President, Samia Suluhu Hassan is also among the leaders who congratulated President Mnangagwa.
There is no mention, be it on local or international media, of President Biden congratulating President Mnangagwa.
CONCLUSION
The letter allegedly from President Biden to President Mnangagwa is fake. President Biden never sent a congratulatory message to his Zimbabwean counterpart. On the contrary, the US has condemned the way the Zimbabwean elections were conducted.
