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HARARE – Diplomatic relations between Zimbabwe and Zambia have deteriorated in recent months, culminating in the decision by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema not to attend the upcoming Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Zimbabwe.
Hichilema reportedly cited security concerns as the reason for not attending the summit, further straining relations between the two neighbors.
Relations between the two countries deteriorated after the re-election of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The friction came after Zambian politician Neves Mumba, who led the Southern African Development Community’s election observation mission to Zimbabwe, expressed concerns about the credibility of the electoral process.
President Mnangagwa’s interactions with global leaders have heightened tensions. He reportedly told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Zambia hosts a US military base, a remark that sparked accusations from Zimbabwe that President Hichilema is too close to the West. Critics in Zimbabwe have branded the Zambian president a “Western stooge,” further deepening the diplomatic rift.
Tensions have also spread to sports, with the Zambian national football team recently refusing to play in a Heroes Day match in Zimbabwe, signalling a wider rift in relations between the two countries.
Zimbabwe’s support for former Zambian President Edgar Lungu, a political rival of Hichilema, has also strained diplomatic relations. Zimbabwe and Zambia have a complicated history dating back to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, which still affects relations to this day. Zambia’s decision to secede from the federation, believing that Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) benefited more from the agreement, has had a lasting impact on relations between the two countries.
Despite these challenges, relations between Zimbabwe and Zambia improved during the tenure of Zambia’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda. President Mnangagwa himself has deep ties to Zambia, having lived there during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle and trained as a lawyer in the country.
The once close relationship between Zimbabwe and Zambia faces significant challenges as the two countries deal with this diplomatic issue, with wider regional implications for the Southern African Development Community and southern Africa.
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