By Political Reporter-Images from the 2024 Regional World Children’s Day event in Victoria Falls notably do not feature President Emmerson Mnangagwa, raising speculation that he may have deliberately avoided interacting with Botswana’s newly elected President, Duma Boko.

Instead, Mnangagwa appears to have delegated Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to represent Zimbabwe at the event.

Boko, who ended the 58-year rule of Botswana’s Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in a historic electoral victory, has been at odds with Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu PF. 

During Botswana’s election campaign, Zanu PF officials openly backed the BDP, providing strategic support while denouncing Boko’s Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) as an unsuitable alternative for governance.

The fallout between the two leaders became evident last week when Mnangagwa attended Boko’s inauguration in Botswana. 

The Zimbabwean leader was reportedly booed by sections of the audience, highlighting lingering animosities stemming from Zanu PF’s overt interference in Botswana’s internal politics.

On Saturday, Boko arrived in Victoria Falls for the regional children’s event and was received by Chiwenga in a move widely interpreted as a deliberate snub by Mnangagwa. 

The Botswana leader’s presence was acknowledged by Zimbabwean government spokesperson Nick Mangwana, who posted on social media:

“Leaders have started arriving in Victoria Falls for the 2024 Regional World Children’s Day. HE Advocate Duma Gideon Boko of Botswana arrived early in Victoria Falls this morning.”

Zanu PF’s involvement in Botswana’s elections raised tensions in regional relations. As Botswana prepared for its polls, Zanu PF openly campaigned for the ruling BDP, allegedly offering logistical and advisory support to its candidates. 

The interference marked a rare departure from the traditionally non-confrontational dynamics among Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states.

This meddling sparked controversy, with Boko’s UDC accusing Zanu PF of undermining democratic principles in Botswana. 

The Zimbabwean ruling party framed Boko as a potential destabilizing force in the region, projecting its support for the BDP as a move to preserve political and economic stability in Southern Africa.

Boko’s victory, however, symbolized a broader regional push for democratic reform and accountability, signaling a challenge to entrenched political systems like Zanu PF’s in Zimbabwe. 

Mnangagwa’s visible discomfort in recent interactions with Boko underscores the strains introduced by Zanu PF’scontroversial role in Botswana’s elections.

This diplomatic rift adds to Mnangagwa’s growing list of challenges, both domestically and internationally, as Zimbabwe faces increasing scrutiny over governance, electoral integrity, and human rights.

Efforts to get a comment from President Mnangagwa’s office to establish why he did not go to the event were not successful.