HARARE – Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary for Information, Nick Mangwana, has dismissed as false and malicious widespread social media claims that the late former Zambian president Edgar Chagwa Lungu was a holder of a Zimbabwean diplomatic passport.
Responding to an online storm of speculation following Lungu’s sudden death on 30 June, Mangwana stated unequivocally:
“There is no record of former Zambian President Edgar Lungu holding a Zimbabwean diplomatic passport. These claims are completely baseless.”
Lungu, 68, who ruled Zambia from 2015 to 2021, died of suspected cardiac arrest while jogging in Lusaka. His death has triggered both regional grief and political chatter with some online users suggesting he may have been secretly granted honorary status by Zimbabwe, potentially in exchange for political allegiance.
However, officials from Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have privately confirmed there is no trace of such a diplomatic issuance, echoing Mangwana’s public statement.
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Political Ties Fuel Rumour Mill
Speculation was likely stoked by historic camaraderie between Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU PF and Zambia’s Patriotic Front, the party Lungu led. Analysts say while such political alliances are common in Southern Africa, no legal or diplomatic evidence supports claims of special privileges granted to Lungu by Harare.
“The rumour seems to be part of a wider regional misinformation trend,” said a Harare-based diplomatic analyst. “It plays into narratives of clandestine political favours, but there is simply no paper trail.”
A Call for Respect
Mangwana further appealed to the public to refrain from politicising Lungu’s death, calling it “cheap political mischief” and a disservice to the mourning period.
“Let us mourn respectfully and avoid unverified conspiracies that undermine diplomatic integrity and cross-border unity,” he said.
Lungu was declared a national hero by the Zambian government, with a state funeral scheduled later this week. Regional leaders, including from Zimbabwe, are expected to attend.
